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Police force: Renew, Re-arm, Reform
Filling vacancies in sanctioned posts and improving capabilities in forensics, tech and intel are crucial for the police force
Prakash SinghNew Delhi September 17, 2021ISSUE DATE: September 27, 2021UPDATED: September 18, 2021 00:48 IST
It is one of the ironies of present-day India that while we are capable of sending a mission to the moon, of launching intercontinental ballistic missiles, developing a bullet train and enjoy the status of being a formidable IT power, we are still—seven decades after Independence—stuck with a police force with the same old colonial structure and a feudal mindset. It’s not that efforts have not been made in the past to modernise the police. Several commissions at the state and Central levels have made recommendations to restructure the police force. However, the state governments, which have jurisdiction over the ‘police’ and ‘law and order’, made only cosmetic changes and were averse to reforms that would insulate the police from political pressure and make it accountable to the people.
The National Police Commission (1979-1981) has observed that “the relationship that existed between the police and the foreign power before Independence was allowed to continue with the only change that the foreign power was substituted by the political party in power”. The basic law—the Police Act of 1861—remained practically unaltered and “no attempts were made to redefine the relationship between the police and the politically oriented government”.
In 2006, the Supreme Court, responding to a petition based essentially on the recommendations of the National Police Commission, issued a set of comprehensive directions to insulate the police from external pressures, give security of tenure to the police chief and officers in the field, separate investigation from law and order in metros, give autonomy to departmental officers in personnel matters and set up complaints authorities at district and state levels with a view to conducting inquiries into cases of serious misconduct by police personnel. Some states passed laws, purportedly in compliance with the judicial directions, but in fact with the intention to circumvent them, taking advantage of the proviso that the SC’s directions will be operative only till the Centre and the states “pass the requisite legislation”. The remaining states passed executive orders, but the fact is that all states violated the SC’s directions either in letter or in spirit or both.
We don’t need reforms for the glory of the police or to give more powers to its officers; they are meant to create an environment where the police are able to uphold the rule of law and feel accountable to the laws of the land and the people of the country. The reforms are also relevant for a healthy democracy and to sustain the momentum of economic progress.
The internal security situation of the country has always been a matter of concern. It would not be surprising if the developments in Afghanistan embolden Pakistan to push jihadis across our western borders to create mayhem in the frontier states, especially Jammu and Kashmir. It’s also possible that pro-Pak elements will create disorder in the hinterland. A well-armed, highly motivated police force, led by competent officers, who are fed timely intelligence, would be our best guarantee against the depredations of such subversive elements. The capabilities of the Central Armed Police Forces would need substantial augmentation.
Reforms, in this context, become all the more imperative. The government should give high priority to at least those reforms that do not have political implications, such as filling up vacancies and, thereby, increasing manpower, improving infrastructure in terms of transport, communications and forensics, energising the intelligence network and sharpening the technological capabilities of the police force. There is no room for delay. As Sun Tzu said, “quickness is the essence of the war”. Other reforms of a more fundamental nature may be taken up in due course of time.
- Prakash Singh, Chairman, Indian Police Foundation, is a former DG, BSF; DGP UP and DGP Assam
Police force: Renew, Re-arm, Reform - UP Front News - Issue Date: Sep 27, 2021 (indiatoday.in)
Filling vacancies in sanctioned posts and improving capabilities in forensics, tech and intel are crucial for the police force
Prakash SinghNew Delhi September 17, 2021ISSUE DATE: September 27, 2021UPDATED: September 18, 2021 00:48 IST
It is one of the ironies of present-day India that while we are capable of sending a mission to the moon, of launching intercontinental ballistic missiles, developing a bullet train and enjoy the status of being a formidable IT power, we are still—seven decades after Independence—stuck with a police force with the same old colonial structure and a feudal mindset. It’s not that efforts have not been made in the past to modernise the police. Several commissions at the state and Central levels have made recommendations to restructure the police force. However, the state governments, which have jurisdiction over the ‘police’ and ‘law and order’, made only cosmetic changes and were averse to reforms that would insulate the police from political pressure and make it accountable to the people.
The National Police Commission (1979-1981) has observed that “the relationship that existed between the police and the foreign power before Independence was allowed to continue with the only change that the foreign power was substituted by the political party in power”. The basic law—the Police Act of 1861—remained practically unaltered and “no attempts were made to redefine the relationship between the police and the politically oriented government”.
In 2006, the Supreme Court, responding to a petition based essentially on the recommendations of the National Police Commission, issued a set of comprehensive directions to insulate the police from external pressures, give security of tenure to the police chief and officers in the field, separate investigation from law and order in metros, give autonomy to departmental officers in personnel matters and set up complaints authorities at district and state levels with a view to conducting inquiries into cases of serious misconduct by police personnel. Some states passed laws, purportedly in compliance with the judicial directions, but in fact with the intention to circumvent them, taking advantage of the proviso that the SC’s directions will be operative only till the Centre and the states “pass the requisite legislation”. The remaining states passed executive orders, but the fact is that all states violated the SC’s directions either in letter or in spirit or both.
The court’s direction to set up a security commission in every state “to ensure that the state government does not exercise unwarranted influence or pressure on the state police and to lay down the broad policy guidelines so that the state police always acts according to the laws of the land and the Constitution of the country” were the most important, which, if sincerely implemented, would have brought about a sea change in the working of the police. The direction regarding separation of investigation and law and order functions was the easiest and, in principle, there is no opposition to it. The states, however, plead financial constraints in increasing manpower.
We don’t need reforms for the glory of the police or to give more powers to its officers; they are meant to create an environment where the police are able to uphold the rule of law and feel accountable to the laws of the land and the people of the country. The reforms are also relevant for a healthy democracy and to sustain the momentum of economic progress.
The internal security situation of the country has always been a matter of concern. It would not be surprising if the developments in Afghanistan embolden Pakistan to push jihadis across our western borders to create mayhem in the frontier states, especially Jammu and Kashmir. It’s also possible that pro-Pak elements will create disorder in the hinterland. A well-armed, highly motivated police force, led by competent officers, who are fed timely intelligence, would be our best guarantee against the depredations of such subversive elements. The capabilities of the Central Armed Police Forces would need substantial augmentation.
Reforms, in this context, become all the more imperative. The government should give high priority to at least those reforms that do not have political implications, such as filling up vacancies and, thereby, increasing manpower, improving infrastructure in terms of transport, communications and forensics, energising the intelligence network and sharpening the technological capabilities of the police force. There is no room for delay. As Sun Tzu said, “quickness is the essence of the war”. Other reforms of a more fundamental nature may be taken up in due course of time.
- Prakash Singh, Chairman, Indian Police Foundation, is a former DG, BSF; DGP UP and DGP Assam
Police force: Renew, Re-arm, Reform - UP Front News - Issue Date: Sep 27, 2021 (indiatoday.in)
