Fashioning People's Police

It is often said that the police that the British fashioned for a colonial purpose is out-dated for the post-Independence India. The people of an independent democratic country have expectations from their protector which differ diametrically from the expectations of the colonial masters whose perception was naturally top-down.

It is not as if this has not been recognised by the powers that be. There have been attempts to study the problem of policing in India; the most notable being the Police Commission which was set up nearly four decades ago. The recommendations of the Commission have not been implemented over the long period that has elapsed since the recommendations were made. Meanwhile, the police remains mired in professional conditions which hamper their performance, and the distance between the public and their servant continues to be enormous.

An impartial judge of the policeman will also look at the reasons why there is a gap between expectations and delivery of this extremely vital public servant. There will be, in such an assessment, empathy for the kind of conditions in which a policeman has to not only perform, but also live. The policeman is frequently transferred and hardly gets the time to find suitable accommodation for his family to live in peace. There is a strong resistance from house owners to rent their premises out to policemen given the perception the public has of an average policeman. The result is that the policeman is forced to keep his family either in his home village, or in areas which are not exactly the most respectable ones. The policeman has the mandate for a 24-hour duty, and the condition of public tranquillity in some places does not allow an under-manned police station to grant even the full quota of leave which is due under the rules. A study I conducted during my tenure in the districts showed that the constables, head constables and sub-inspectors posted in the police stations seldom enjoy more than 46 per-cent of the leave they earn and only 67 per-cent of the casual leave which is admissible in a year. The barrack accommodation is not even of the standard that most people would create for their pets! Day in and day out the policeman deals with irate public, rule flouting callous road users, hardened criminals and most uncivil public representatives. As if this is not bad enough, their superiors are often hard task-masters with a limited concern for their welfare. If all this was merely a list of excuses to escape public disapproval of unacceptable behaviour, then all these factors would not have been taken into consideration by the National Police Commission, The Commission came up with a number of recommendations to improve the conditions under which an average policeman has to function. Among other things, the fact that a policeman is lucky if he gets 25 days of leave while a government servant from other departments has nearly 140 holidays in a year and the festivals, national holidays, week-ends can all be enjoyed by him.

Given these adverse conditions, the chances are that a policeman will become irritable, abusive, insensitive, heartless, unfeeling, inconsiderate, thoughtless, and thick-skinned. It will take a great effort on his part to maintain a mental equilibrium and equanimity which are so essential for him to be a model policeman. What can be done to improve his lot? Here is a short list.

1. Construct more residences for men in the place where their families can live in peace and have access to education and medical care.

2. Recruit more men so as to build in sufficient off-hours and holidays for the overworked law-keeper.

3. Increase the frequency of behavioural training capsules.

4. Educate public to respect laws. For this a beginning needs to be made at the school where there should be an emphasis on having respect for the law of the land.

5. Make public aware about the actual powers and limitations the policeman has. It is often the case that people go to police with complaints the law does not expect them to entertain.

6. Make transparent procedures for accountability of the police towards the public.

            Clearly, the onus lies with the political masters of the day. In a democratic set up, the police has to be the servant of the people, and not of the political masters.

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SHAKTIMAN DIARY

On a walk through the vast parade ground, I was thinking about the relationship that man and animal often strike.  A proud owner of a dog develops a very special bond with this symbol of dependability and devotion in the animal kingdom. I have a large number of friends with endless number of stories they have about the astonishing emotional attachment which man and beast developed. Innumerable stories abound about horse-man relationships too. History is replete with the parables of this magnificent animal which symbolises strength and speed. I couldn’t help think about the services these two animals have rendered to the society as members of police forces across the world. The ever dependable dog has the special capacity to sniff with accuracy hundred times more effective than its human handler. That makes this genial four-legged wonder a priceless partner when an investigator wants to unravel a mysterious crime. The horse too has a vital role to play. The speed and strength it symbolises are assets for any warrior on the move. And the warrior the society looks up to for controlling mobs when they behave without restraint and act to the detriment of tranquillity, the policeman, makes a telling impact astride a horse.

As I disturbed a pile of dry leaves with my foot, I noticed a diary partially exposed under these leaves that had fallen from the trees in autumn. Wondering what it was, I picked up the slightly ragged bundle of crumpled paper. I looked around to see if there was someone who could be the owner of this booklet. There was none, and I opened pages to find that there were some pages of a diary which had been written only recently. I started reading, and what I read was something that Shaktiman, the police horse in the news recently for having sustained a fatal leg injury, had penned down in the last days of his life. This is what I read:

Day ONE

I can’t help being reflective. The last month has seen a proud animal to live in a condition which is hardly doing his pride any good. I can claim today to be among the best known horses the world over. Police, for whom I worked, treated me with immense love and respect. Almost a decade ago when I was picked up to join Uttarakhand Police out of a large number of other horses, I sensed that I was a part of a team of policemen who loved one another: not just humans, but us, horses as well. Sure enough, with the close training my handlers provided to me, I had the confidence to deal with all aspects of my duty. I need not be modest in my own diary, so I can say that I was rated the smartest, most elegant and supremely well-trained in a troop consisting of many winners! I developed a strong sense of dedication to my duties. I was asked to lead the troops, be it on ceremonial occasions or in difficult crowd control situations. I had the privilege to be a showpiece horse at the State Raising Day Parades every 9^th November for the last so many years. Now with a leg gone, I am wondering if those glorious days will ever return!

Day TWO

The doctors have been visiting me with an unfailing consistency. I am growing fond of them. One Dr Negi, is particularly loving. And that doctor from Mumbai, Dr Feroz Khambatta, has been taking very close care too. The American Dr Jenny has been working day and night to give me a prosthetic leg so that I may once again stand up…..the most preferred natural position the Almighty has given to us horses!!

When I see these angelic humans doing the most that they can to give me some comfort and relief, I cannot but be astonished at the brutality of some others. I have seen these types in so many rallies, and have found that those whose profession is to give laws to the society are the ones most frequently breaking those laws too. And at times when they come in groups to stage what they call protests, their behaviour assumes sinister proportions. A month ago, my stoic presence in the midst of mayhem all around was possibly due to years of training and experience. You will not believe it that with all that restrain in the face of great provocation, with my training giving me the resolve to be responsible and peaceful in all situations, with my loving rider astride me, I was still not spared! The leader and the followers, all seemed to be intent on proving that violence is their credo. And I was at the receiving end…all in the call of duty.

Day THREE

I saw a dream tonight. My mother came to have a word with me and I saw in her eyes several layers of sadness. She seemed to have come to the conclusion that there was something ominous in store for me. Her tear-laden eyes compelled me to look the other way for I was myself in the middle of a losing battle to control my own tears. That I am a soldier is a fact that I never lose sight of. So, I regained my composure and set out to convey to mom how I was proud to be a dutiful member of an elite unit of a force which is there to protect the law abiding citizen from the criminal. I was proud to be a part of a force the members of which routinely take bullets on their chests in the call of duty. In my case, the fact that I was in the middle of a battle for life was not a matter for regret; the brave soldiers are known to be imbued with the pluck to face such situations. I was indeed always vulnerable to attacks from agitating mobs, and from those who are expected to give to the people their laws but have habitually been indifferent when it came to respecting the very same laws. I consoled mom that if I was actually going to succumb, then it was in the manner that every soldier dreams of: to make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

Mom disappeared, and left me thinking. Will it be a miracle? Will Dr Jenny actually make me move on four legs? Will I be the first police horse in the world to perform with just three real legs and one leg given by Dr Jenny? I dozed off, thinking of the coming day, when the prosthetic leg was to be fixed. I must have slept with a smile on my face!

Day FOUR

My days pass these days with a large number of people all around me. I am confined to my stable in the Police Lines. As if I am a celebrity, they surround me. Look at me. Talk in whispers, and loudly at times. The refrain is the same. On the one hand they sympathise with me, and on the other, they express their strong disapproval for the mentality and attitude of some people in positions of power. It is astonishing to find that the suffering of an animal can make humans so sensitive to pain and injury. I know how numberless fellow animals eke out a miserable existence in sordid conditions, yet the human response is missing. My fellow animals are ones who might actually rejoice in my current misery for a large number of animal lovers and activists have suddenly gained prominence and are all over television channels. Their efforts are bringing the movers and shakers to their side, and all of a sudden, the central concern of the nation is animal welfare. I can understand that not all these activists are well-meaning. Some of them are there to just gain footage when the going permits such a thing. Others are genuine animal lovers.

One thought that has caught popular imagination is the way that animals in the service of humans ought to be treated. For police horses and dogs, the demand is that they be given the status of officials, and even enjoy ranks. It might sound funny, but despite my present condition, I am inclined to believe that I am the top cop!!

P.S. For some reason, the prosthetic leg has not come today, and I will have to spend yet another night sleeping clumsily on the ground. My favourite position while is standing proudly on all fours…oh, when will that happen again!

Day FIVE

These days, as I await a prosthetic leg to be given to me, I find myself reflecting more and more about my life. I recall that as my mom gave me birth, and I touched earth the very first time, I took hardly a few minutes to stand on all fours. And that is the way I have spent my entire time: standing, walking, cantering and galloping. It gives me immense thrill that by the afternoon, I will be again in my natural stance: standing.

As I look all around, my fellow members of the excellent team of equines that serve as part of the proud Uttarakhand police, I go back to the time we spent under the very strict trainers, the immense unwavering love we received from our handlers, and the care we received from our loving syces. The occasional visit of the vets and the barber who would give us a thorough grooming was welcome only because these visits were often followed by feasts of gur (jaggery) and gram. Oh, how I love to be pampered!

These days I see a lot of curious onlookers visiting me….and their faces give me a disturbing appreciation of ominous bodings. I know that the simplest definition of life is: the time that a living being spends between birth and death. The great urge that all beings cherish, however, is that death should not be the last milestone. I have the longing to be remembered like Arion, Pegasus, Chetak, or Rani Lakshmibai’s immortal horse who served her till the very end. The passing away of a fellow soldier is an event that the proud police force solemnly observes with befitting last rites. I have seen how they hold their tears back, and manage a stoic stance as they reverse their firearms in deference and grief. But am I a soldier in the sense the humans are understood to be? Or, am I just equipment which is used and exploited to meet an end till the time comes for being listed with the things that have reached their expiry date? I have heard that there are police forces in some parts of the world which recognise us and dogs as living soldiers, conferring us with ranks suitable to seniority and efficiency we attain. I hope the police force to which I belong will also count us as one of them, and give me a rank as I walk, canter and gallop once again on the coming Independence Day. I also hope that we will be decorated with honours on special occasions in the manner that other police officials are.

I can feel a great source of bright light, almost blinding in its brilliance, engulfing me, and beckoning me towards itself. I can see my mom in a faded outline behind the source of light. Hey, mom, I have pain…..will you give me a balm; I want to be in your care!

**********

SHAKTIMAN was given a prosthetic leg the following day. He did stand on all fours, one of the four was, alas, not one made of flesh and blood. He took a few painful steps to see if the borrowed appendage did really stand to the test. It appears, sadly, that the result of the test was in the negative. The magnificent animal breathed its last the following day. The whole humanity mourned, save the ones who thought that horse-trading was actually a literal game to be played as brutally as only human beings can.

I HAVE READ SOMEWHERE THAT during Asoka the Great’s reign, the animals enjoyed citizens’ rights. In our times, the animals deserve at least animals’ right to live!!!