Abhinav Kumar
The writer is a serving IPS officer. Views are personal.
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On Gujarat 2002, the wheel has come full circle
Abhinav Kumar writes: Cynical activists, in pursuit of their political objectives, didn't think twice about unfairly crucifying the police and intelligence community
Thu, Jul 14, 2022
Why they love to hate ‘The Kashmir Files’
Abhinav Kumar writes: This is the latest example of intellectual tone-deafness to the political and cultural realities of today's India.
Sat, Apr 16, 2022
The recent Chhattisgarh ambush has triggered a fresh round of finger-pointing
Not just the politics, the geography and demography of the Naxal-affected areas, make it an even more complex challenge of internal security.
Wed, Apr 21, 2021
Kashmir’s future is tied to India’s, it is for all of us to decide what that will be
Till August 5, 2019, Article 370 was seen as a non-negotiable foundation stone of any credible Kashmir policy. That myth has been conclusively exploded. In 69 years of its existence, all Article 370 had done was to encourage a dangerous fantasy in Kashmir.
Tue, Aug 11, 2020
Policing a lockdown: Every day brings challenges, heartbreaks, acts of inspiration
This virus is deadly and infectious enough. We don’t need to add to its lethal prowess by holding onto our past legacy of mutual distrust. For all the threat it represents, this epidemic is also an opportunity for police forces in India to redeem themselves in the eyes of their fellow citizens by exemplary standards of courage, professionalism and service.
Fri, Apr 03, 2020
Why Delhi burned: The police, courts and media failed to stand up for rule of law
What happened in Delhi on February 24 is a matter of grave concern and raises troubling questions, regardless of one’s ideological affiliations. If the nation’s capital can experience this kind of sustained mayhem over hours and days, then what hope is there for law and order in the supposedly less well-policed parts of the country?
Fri, Mar 06, 2020
As a father, I cannot tell my daughter India is a safe place for women
If I ever ran into the parents of the December 12 victim or the Hyderabad vet, I don’t think I would be able to face them without a sense of shame and failure. We simply couldn’t do enough to prevent their daughters from becoming victims.
Fri, Dec 06, 2019
In Kashmir, people’s fears about loss of identity must be addressed
It is a huge opportunity to prove to the people of Kashmir and to ourselves that the long dark night of violent hatred that began in 1989 is coming to an end in 2019. Naya Kashmir can finally look forward to a new dawn of prosperity and peace in the heart of India.
Sat, Nov 23, 2019
For uniformed forces, the last five weeks in the Valley have been a great test of commitment, capability
Centre’s goal is to engage with Kashmiris tired of violence, provide safe spaces to express their desire for peace. Post-relaxation of curbs, the government’s priorities will be development and employment generation, something jihad and azadi had little space for.
Wed, Sep 11, 2019
Why Article 370 had to go
The constitutional, democratic, historical and moral arguments being marshalled against the Centre’s move in Jammu and Kashmir are unfounded. I, for one, regard it as an extraordinary privilege and honour to be a part of this historical exercise.
Fri, Aug 16, 2019
A new deal for Kashmir
Constitutional concessions have failed to facilitate the Valley’s assimilation with India. The rules of engagement need to change
Fri, Jul 05, 2019
Soldiering on, after Pulwama
We are acutely aware of what is at stake in Kashmir. And that there is no easy way out
Wed, Feb 20, 2019
Central Armed Police Forces should continue to be headed by IPS officials
The Central Armed Police Forces are primarily a reserve resource for supporting state police. The leadership provided by the IPS to five of the BSF, ITBP, SSB, CISF and CRPF, is now being questioned.
Tue, Jan 29, 2019
Propaganda in an exit
In his resignation post, Shah Faesal invokes a narrative of Kashmiri victimhood that is at odds with the reality on the ground and filled with political posturing
Tue, Jan 15, 2019
A colder winter in Kashmir
The post-Pulwama narrative has been hijacked by separatists. Let it not distract from what is at stake in J&K.
Wed, Dec 26, 2018
Death of an SHO
UP has a dysfunctional criminal justice system. The mob lynching of a police officer underlines it
Thu, Dec 06, 2018
Crime and complicity
Gomti Nagar murder may not be related to UP police’s ‘encounter culture’. But it calls for introspection.
Thu, Oct 04, 2018
Smoke and errors
Punjab government’s approach to drug menace is counter-productive. Compulsions of electoral politics and demagoguery continue to trump common sense, decency and evidence about what doesn’t work.
Thu, Jul 12, 2018
Kathua’s inconvenient truths
Outrage over heinous crime cannot be a replacement for strengthening rule of law. Civil society must start — and sustain — a debate on the need for improving the quality of policing.
Tue, Apr 17, 2018
Rhetoric to reasoned debate
The SC order on Atrocities Act calls for a dispassionate discussion. At stake is not just the question of justice for victims of caste atrocities, but also the issue of due process and the rule of law.
Sat, Apr 07, 2018
With fear and favour
The Gudiya and Pradyuman murder cases should be a wake-up call for the entire IPS leadership of the country. We need to ask ourselves: Who do we serve and who do we protect?
Wed, Nov 15, 2017
Piercing the Panchkula haze
The states of India have simply not invested enough in the police. As a result, for anything more than a routine, local law and order problem, the states end up seeking assistance from the Centre. This is usually provided in the form of CAPFs, and in extreme cases, by the Indian Army.
Thu, Aug 31, 2017
The ineffective state
After the Delhi 2012 gangrape, outrage and breast-beating became the substitute for thoughtful analysis and policy-making. Let it not happen again, after the lynchings
Fri, Jun 30, 2017
Shooting the cop
Police should not be scapegoated for arrests in high-profile corruption cases
Wed, Mar 22, 2017