I TOO NEED PROTECTION

 I TOO NEED PROTECTION

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

01/VI/2022

 

Murders were so common in Punjab in the days of yore. As a kid ‘The Tribune’ would carry a story if not more daily. Probably ‘zameen’ and ‘jaidaat’ were core issues. ‘Women’ were the next prominent reason for murders. People were even hired for it. Honour killings I shan’t discuss today.

 

What always intrigued me was ‘Khandani Dushmani’. A grandson would revenge the murder of his grandfather. Right in the middle of a busy market place, murder could be done in broad daylight. Chivalry didn’t end there. Survivors would go to the ‘thana’, surrender and say we murdered so and so & the body is lying at ‘phalana-dhimkana’ place.

 

Be that as it may. If we keep politics aside, irrespective of the party in power, is there any doubt as to who is responsible for policing in any state? Who heads the police organisation? Most definitely the Home Minister. Invariably it is the Chief Minister himself. Does he have the time to understand what policing is all about? I doubt it.

 

A file comes to him, duly annotated, with remarks and recommendations. Chief secretary’s assistant calls up the concerned and cross checks. File is pushed to the CM, who while on ‘political duty’ scribbles his ‘dhobi number’ on it. That becomes an order.

 

Say if a CM says, let’s review the personal security of people with whom Police manpower is deployed. Let’s ‘imagine’ the procedure for once. I might be conjecturing but so be it.

 

With the pressure of the people for better policing and promises to make them safe in their manifesto gives spark to an exercise. Till yesterday this common man mingled with people, today suddenly he has a fleet of SUVs, gun toting black cat commandos surrounding him. The CM feels choked. He casually mentions to his PA, who also worked with the previous CM, that this much of security is a waste.

 

Next day his security is reduced. Instead of five escort vehicles, now there are three. Personnel of those two vehicles are stuffed in three now. ‘Nafri’ ghat nahi ho sakdi CM saab ki. CM claims he is leading from the front and praises the prompt action. Someone is smiling, that bana ditta CM saab da Chu….

 

In one of the high-level meetings, CM mentions to fetch a list of people who have been given personal security to include the number of policemen deployed. CM on seeing that list goes into a tizzy.

 

Retired bureaucrats need more security it seems. Saabka (Ex) CM, Saabka MLA all need personal security more for prestige. More because what they didn’t do in their tenures.

 

‘Ghat karo ji bande’ (reduce the men) is the CMs ‘farmaan’. Police have a PPT on security review at hand. Eithon dus bande, othon panj, CM saab gives a nod. Minutes of the meeting are recorded and sent for his signatures. His secretary opens that file right when the CM is about to chair the river tribunal meeting.

 

Saab ji, O discuss keeta si ji os din tussan, IG saab de naal, sign kar do. Tu parh liya Ruldu Singh, sab theek a, haanji sir, liya fir aider, IG saab nu kavin, ek mahine de ander ander sara kam ho jana chahida. Haan ji sir. Executive orders are passed and implemented.

 

Who become the victims of such procedures? One just happened to be a singer.

 

There is one CMs known person. Mere bande di security kyon chakki gayi. Kal nu sir, balke aj shaam tak ho jau bandobast, tussi fiqr na karo. CM is happy. The formula being, Hukum morna nahi, daka torna nahi, te langar chorna nahi.

 

If one knows the police well, they generally have every information. There are intelligence inputs and inputs from their mukhbirs. One odd case they might miss out. They aren’t that naïve. A murder happened, statements would be taken, CCTV footages would be checked, thana in charges hauled up, visible deployment of personnel done immediately.

 

Within a day people could be traced out in UP for this recent murder. Police efficiency at its best. CM saab ne chhal (skin) la deni va, je na fade gaye mujrim, is passed down the chain till the beat constable.

 

Now comes the political part. The present dispensation would never admit a lapse and blame it on the previous one. The previous ones being rivals would throw the ball back. Police people start working leaving the politicians to deal with it. Media goes into a frenzy with useless debates. Actual security gayi tel lene.

 

All said and done, policing is not an easy task. It is only during a VIP visit policemen appear. Barricades, lathis, whistles, walkie-talkies pop out, to be aired once in a while. Common man is inconvenienced and made to believe that this is security. You jump a barricade and see the colour of your backside. You go to a thana for lodging a complaint and then see what this common man faces.

 

They will interrogate you as if the crime has been done by you. Chai-pani and kharchi for every visit is customary. That’s what the reputation most of them carry.

 

Slogans like, ‘aap ke saath, aap ke liye’ are good on walls of a thana. The reality is that there is a total trust deficit which has been since times immemorial.

 

Our systems need to be shaken up. One must remember that the politicians change but the bureaucracy and the forces on ground are the same. They know their job but are hurdled with political interference.

 

My heartfelt condolences to the family of the singer. All that I have said may be a conjecture and maybe there is some truth in it too. It is time to really protect every citizen of the country. I too need protection. From whom? I wonder!!!!!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS