PROFESSIONAL PRIDE OF THE POLICE

Better handling of the police administration will do away

with the ills of the police force writes PRAVEEN KUMAR.

The basic needs of police and policing are professional pride and a good image.

The police force capable of doing its duties are carrying out its responsibilities with

devotion and self- sacrifice. But it needs its sacrifices and devotion to work to be

appreciated. A good image entails public cooperation and enhances the social

recognition of the police personnel. Pride and a high morale are necessary in manpower

oriented organisations like the police, particularly those which have to deal with the

public from a position of strength. Police personnel shamed and humiliated in their

career can never face the public and do good policing.

The tragedy lies in police administration. Its vanity belittles the police, breaches

its pride, shatters its self-image and destroys its good public image by unscrupulous and

selfish interferences in police affairs. Suspensions and disciplinary action are a common

phenomenon in the Indian Police. When no grounds are available for disciplinary

proceedings, they resort to unfair and indecent measures like withdrawing vehicles,

telephones and other facilities, denying promotions, transfer to humiliating jobs created

for meeting such eventualities, keeping on prolonged compulsory waiting without a job
etc. These humiliations weaken their position before the public as well as subordinates

whom they are supposed to control and guide with the strength of their leadership

qualities.

ARROGANCE OF POWER

A factor responsible for maladministration becoming the abracadabra of police

administration is arrogance of power. The police is the real power, the crux of the state

power. The police administrators weild power on the enforcers of the state power.

Power breeds arrogance, ultimate power, ultimate arrogance. The sweep of arrogance is

so strong that it has no patience for rules, laws, codes of conduct, moral values, natural

courtesies and human dignities. The only goal of the police administration in the

ambience of arrogance is proving its invincibility as tout prix.

A serious lapse of police administration in India is its presumed virtue of

indifference to other’s predicaments. The compulsions of being led deprive government

officials the great human gifts like freedom of thought, originality and creativity and

drain off feelings and sensibilities. The humble situation is spawned for government

officials by themselves by their zeal to conform.

This is the position in which the police administration finds itself. The need of

making virtue out of irresponsiveness leads to mendacity and dishonesty. Normal human

courtesies are unknown there. Evasion is the stock reply for queries. Vanity is the
hallmark. Approach to all except higher-ups is always brusque and stroppy. Normal

man-to-man interaction is impossible unless one is capable of gratifying. Public

relations is an unknown concept, McGregor’s need hierarchy and such management,

concepts are nonexistent in their vocabulary and thoughts.

A CUSHY JOB

The police administration provides a good cover to meet long cherished desires

and is therefore considered a cushy job. A police administrator like the Home Secretary

of a state can avail for himself from the police organisation all benefits inherent to the

police job like the best available transport and communication facilities and orderly

services at will. The police network throughout the country would be at his personal

service wherever and in whatever way he desired it. This is an invaluable asset, for him

and his kith and kin. In the name of various studies concerning the police, he can visit

foreign countries at his will and convenience at government expenditure.

The prevarications of the police administration from the right path in most cases

is not even to achieve right professional ends. They mostly are pure and simple means

to self-grandiosity and personal gains. Show them elements of personal grists. Files

move fast. Discussions and meetings are held day and night. Decisions are taken

overnight. Procedures are cut-short to ease the process. Ordinary situation turns to an

emergence. Administration becomes a hub of incessant activity. Lots of energy and

thought go to the process of administration. The result is that work is done irrespective
of the relevance and importance of the work while more pressing and vital, but less

remunerative works rot in files for years.

Selection and recruitment of men in the age of unemployment and purchase of

heavy vehicles in the ambience of commissions play a pivotal role in the administration

of police and related safety-oriented organisations like the fire force. Recruiting men in

thousands and purchase of scores of heavy vehicles at a single go in the name of

expansion of an organisation involves subterranean change of hands of crores of rupees

in a short span of time. It is a dizzy amount to be pocketed.

Decisions were taken by the administration for expansion of the organisation with

fresh recruitment of thousands of men and sub-officers and purchase of scores of heavy

vehicles. A police officer in a sensitive juncture of his career who could be compromised

was put in charge of the organisation and the selection and purchase processes. The setup

worked out by the Home Secretary worked to his satisfaction. The result was that the

police officer in charge was rewarded by quick and easy promotions. The organisation

concerned saw rapid expansion. Thousands of unemployed youths got jobs.

Manufactures of heavy vehicles got business. And the Home Secretary got what he

wanted. Thus all are happy and contented. This is how administration works in India.

Most ills of the present Indian police emerge from the malaise of the morbid

handling of the police administration at different levels. Be is in handling of the body

and shape of the organisation and its functions of managing the spirit and the soul of
the force, the police administration can play a major role either in building or marring

the prospects of raising a healthy police outfit for the country. As of today, police

administration failed the country and its police by indifference on the one hand and

crass handling of the organisation and its affairs on the other. The only solution to this

serious malady lies in rebuilding the police administration with people of character,

integrity, devotion, efficiency, ability and above all, deep insight to human nature and its

problems.