Divided we stand...

 

 

British rule might have ended but the antediluvian Police Act of 1861 continues to direct the basic dynamics of ‘ruler versus the ruled’ psyche of police administration in the country. “Police continues to be in the colonial mode, that is, the strong arm of the powerful against the powerless,” avers senior IPS officer Amod Kanth while speaking to TSI.

Transformation, then, is required for changing police from a reactive force concentrating on law and order to the pro-active force having higher interface and interaction with the community. Police in such a mode becomes part of the society rather than against it. Its transparent structure coupled with stress on preventive measures aided by community can go a long way in effective policing (rather than waiting for a calamity or the criminals to strike). G.L. Sharma, DG Vigilance, Uttar Pradesh comments, “Concealing various facts in police department gives birth to corruption. In the event, unadulterated policing is urgently required.”

Nithari was one example where police was directly at odds with the concerns of the local population. Policing in this country definitely has to walk out from the colonial closet to avert hundreds of future Nitharis.