INDIAN POLICE : TIME TO TAKE TOUGH DECISIONS
It is India”s good fortune that its fabric of law and order has
withstood the effects of growing complexity of the Indian society for so
fragile is its policing. The fact that the police systems in a few
neighbouring countries of Asia and Africa are worse cannot be a solace
as the political, social and economical structures of those countries
have different backgrounds and value systems from ours. India is a
crucible wherein the dynamics and relevance of democracy in the third
world are being experimented with. The Indian police system must
necessarily meet the aspirations of democracy in fulfilling its
objective of maintaining internal order and security. This dimension has
added to the problems of policing in India. The Indian polity confronts
its police with ever greater challenges while giving it an increasingly
limited wherewithal to face them.
. A minor shift in the style of policing in the country can make a
life-and-death difference to myriad people. A wrong turn and the police
could inadvertently tear the fabric of the national life to shreds and
ruin the country. A right step and an era of perfect security, order and
peace may be created. Only an objective analysis of the needs of the
time and assessment of the situation would give the insight necessary to
make the right choice for police about the course to be pursued. Such an
analysis must be carried out by highly competent persons at the highest
level who can see things dispassionately and take decisions. They must
be people who have an overall view of things and are capable of seeing
them against the wider background of national interest. It is a
responsible job, requiring through knowledge of the nuances of police
and policing. The people who do it must be capable of taking hard
decisions which may often go against their own interests and may have
far-reaching consequences. The Indian police must give serious thought
to what it wants to be in the future and may have to take some tough
decisions.
There is an impression that the Indian police is not what it was before
Independence. The pride, toughness and commitment to duty are no more
visible. On the contrary, the Indian police has become soft humble and
easy going. Pressure from all directions has deprived it of its
vitality. The police has become a widely abused organisation by the
virtue of its submission on the wishes of its masters under false
notions of discipline. It is the popular scapegoat for anything and
everything that goes wrong in the public life. In the circumstances, a
sense of insecurity has developed among the police men.
A natural outcome of this development is taking things easy, with the
eyes and ears shut, unless career interests warrant otherwise Commitment
to policing is sacrificed in the process. These developments have
reduced the police to the level of a toy that moves only when the spring
inside unwinds. New entrants who begin eagerly soon after the training
period, begin to realise the realities.
A serious malady affecting the tough and nonsense image of the police is
the interference of people of some standing in society at all levels. An
organisation, looking for a serious image, cannot afford this intrusion.
Policing must be insulated from public pressures except at the top to
which all policing affairs must be accountable. People handling policing
should be responsible only to law and their superiors in the department
and to none else. The regulation of policies in all details must be
controlled and guided by the top. On the other hand, the line authority
of the organisation must be all powerful to guide and regulate policing
and police administration.
A police organisation, open to public pressures can do no policing worth
the name. The very idea of being receptive to pressures and interference
indicates a lack of will for objectivity and justice. It is criminal
elements which cultivate sources that have put the policing on the wrong
rails. Pressure often forces of the police to commit crimes under the
veil of authority, either by protecting criminals or more dangerously,
by replacing them with innocent people as criminals. The possibility of
the police being open to the influence of the rich and powerful,
deprives it of its credibility. A police force that works at the behest
of the rich and powerful can guard their interests only. Does democratic
India need such a police force that allows tyranny of the poor and the
helpless by the rich and powerful? The country has tolerated such a
police in the last four decades. The people, however, must now act the
demand a police that lives up to the trust placed in it.
The lack of professional objectivity is the bane of the police in
independent India. The problem was simple in British India where the
ruler and the ruled were distinctly identified and the loyalty of the
police was defined. Now, the police should do their duty by the public
and law. Misplaced loyalty with an individual, a family, a party or an
ideology amounts to violation of professional ethics. The police, in a
democracy is the guardian of public interests and public safety unlike
in the raj where the police protected the interests of the raj. This
distinction is forgotten in independent India where mental fetters are
yet to be broken and legacies of the British rule continue inveterated.
How can a police that stays loyal to personal, familial or party
interests ever discharge its functions objectively to law and general
public? What can its locus standi be when a different person or party
comes to power? A pliable police force is an asset to any individual or
party and no sensible individual or party distances it in the name of
professional ethics. It is the duty of the police not to breach the
edifice of the organisation and its spirit.
A byproduct of this degenerate trend is the rise of opportunists and
sycophants to key posts and the fall of honest persons of great calibre.
The trend creates a catena of reactions that slowly eats up the vitality
of the police organisation and reduces it to a foul bunch of bloodhounds
of the rich and powerful few. The shoddy creatures sitting court above
men of probity is a dangerous situations. This reverse order of merit is
sure to bring frustration and the collapse of the organisation someday.
The British were the forefathers of the unified Indian Police. It was a
force that met the needs of the time. In an age of rapid changes, the
opening up of new vistas and dimensions to life through inventions and
discoveries in science and technology, nothing remains constant. The
scope, design and objects of the Indian police underwent a metamorphosis
with the transfer of government to native hands. The process spawned a
phenomenon in which undemanding aspects of both the worlds survived to
create a new police culture. The distinguishing traits of the Indian
police of the British period such as objectivity, apoliticism,
commitment, discipline, quality and high standards were discarded.
Traditional Indian values such as a simplicity, charity, wisdom, mutual,
respect, and human qualities were given up too. The convenient factors
of the old and new worlds were chosen to create a new police culture
while demands on policing were at the crucial stage in the recent years
of independence.
The Indian police officers overnight rose to high positions made vacant
by the resignations of their senior British officers. The need for
creating a new work –relationship with native political leaders was an
opportunity to usher in a new police culture in free India. Soon the
police became a tool in the hands of the power-brokers of free India.
How can the police be objective, honest, apolitical, committed and
disciplined in such circumstances and how can it uphold the rule of law
and justice in line with its professional ethics in such a situation?
A job culture involves basic beliefs and principles of the organisation,
professional ethics and degree of commitment to the aspirations of the
organisation. To what extent precedence and practice mould the job
culture decides the success or otherwise of the organisation. It is
important that only the right people reach the top. A headless
organisation is better than one headed by a degenerate weakling. This is
why the policy of selection and promotion at high levels plays a vital
role in the growth of the organisation. In a democratic age of
self-seeking short-term political leadership, where sycophancy is the
sole criterion for ascending the career ladder, the policy of
recruitment and promotion is far from direct. All those committed to the
cause of police and effective policing must break the trend and
endeavour to provide a fresh lease of life for effective policing.
A serious subculture of the Indian police in Indian hands is committing
crimes to prevent and detect crimes and breaking laws to catch
law-breakers indeed in the name of showing results. The misplaced stress
on results without a concern for organisational and national goals of
law and justice only reflects a shallow intellectual commitment to duty
on the part of the top brass and the lack of desire to probe the root of
the problem.
Now, on to third-degree methods in crime detection. Even senior officers
tacitly supporting the third-degree methods applied on suspects who may
turn out to be innocent at the end, is not uncommon.
Crimes are crimes whether they are committed by the police or by the
public. What right has the police to inflict suffering on others, merely
on suspicion? After all, it is not the agency to pass judgement on
crimes. None placed the police beyond the scope of the Indian Penal
code. What justification can the police have to commit crimes to collect
evidences of other crimes? The sadistic and criminal tendencies of the
police are not more justifiable than those of the general public.
Discipline is inseparable from police. It governs all parameters of the
foce and makes its hierarchical order meaningful and purposeful, the
command-obedience relationship, sharp-edged and functional conduct,
meticulous. But these days, it is used as a cover by the people in
higher ranks to indulge in wrongdoing and to silence the conscientious
few in the lower ranks. It is also a cover to promote the interests of
juniors who support their evil deeds by sycophancy and personal loyalty;
and to suppress those juniors who are strong, proud, independent and ask
questions.
A subtle hatred for superior qualities of the subordinates in inherent
in the Indian police force of today. Another act carried out behind the
façade of discipline is an officer forcing a subordinate to achieve
personal ends. Here, the police ranks display exceptional unity in
helping a colleague to suppress the subordinate who shows the tendency
to go against his senior’s orders. Youngsters in the organisation who
drop out weaken the organisation. There are any number of examples of
fearless officers who have acted upon their conscience at the cost of
promotions and elevations.
The Indian police finds itself in a blind-spot today, at a crossroads
from where it should build bridges to the future. It must shed its
mental fetters, rise to its feet and learn to be natural. A slip at this
stage would be a tragedy while a right move would be a major turning
point.
It is indeed a crucial juncture for the Indian police.
POLICE AND THE UNDERWORLD
Behind every great fortune, there is a crime, said Balzac; behind every
great crime, there is underworld indulged in making unlimited profits.
Might is right there and only the fittest survive. Animal side of man is
at its best in this business of organised crimes. Gangs operate in
violation of accepted social norms to make fast buck. They are
antisocials and threats to the peace and security of the law-abiding
society.
POWERFUL CONNECTIONS
Pollent organisation is both a strength and weakness of crime
syndicates. Organisation provides these gangs the benefits of a
well-oiled management machinery: objectives, targets, data collection,
through planning, right recruitments, motivation, coordination,
communication system, competent direction, infrastructure, efficient
execution, leadership and accountability, and with it, the all important
ruthless efficiency. Added to this are the ruthlessness and the enormous
wealth of the crime world. The combination is deadly and the result is
powerful connections at right places doing right things at right times
in their interests. Silence and secrecy are the keys here. Powerful and
the underworld complement each other for mutual benefits and the
arrangements usually cover politicians in power, top bureaucrats, those
high-up in judiciary and enforcement agencies including the police.
Enormous ill-gotten wealth amassed by criminal methods bring powerful
connections within the reach of crime syndicates to twist the arms of
law. Thus develops an axis between underworld and the powerful to the
detriment of the country.
HAND IN GLOVE
Underworld is an independent world per se. It is a world of crimes,
secrecy, silence, fear, loyalties, dangers, wealth, outlaws, sui generis
professional norms, efficiency and wide-ranging infrastructures. Here
various gangs coexist with deadly rivalry or alliance and partnership.
There is no road in between. Choice in the netherland is between success
and imminent death. Though underworld and open world coexist on the
surface of the Earth, their objectives, values and norms of action
render them worlds apart. It is only the police from the open world keep
avizefull eyes on the underworld. They are the bridge between the open
world and the underworld and form a protective sheath between the two.
This position places them in a pivotal role vis a vis crime syndicate
survives without the active backing of the police. The support boosts
their confidence and gives strength to their criminal activities. The
police get a farthing share in the res gestae as the quid pro quo many
times over their salary. Police being hand in glove with the underworld,
is a secret known to all.
UNDERWORLD DYNAMICS
Underworld indulges in extortions, protection money rackets, running
vice-dens of gambling, prostitution, cabret, bars, massage parlours etc,
indulging in crimes like smuggling, drug peddling, adulteration of
petroleum products, land grabbing, arms shipments, hawala transactions,
forgeries in securities, extra-judicial settlement of disputes under
threats, production and sale of apocryphal products, kidnappings for
ransom and other tricks of making quick money in violation of the rules
of the country. Three facts that keep underworld operations distinct are
their secrecy, their antinational and antisocial nature and their
ability to generate huge money in a short duration. These operations are
large scale illegal enterprises run as a teamwork in secrecy and ergo
the need to keep a band of loyal and committed followers. The operations
involve risks at every step. Law enforcing agencies and rival
organisations are heels to undermine their goals. As a result, members
of the underworld are liberally rewarded for their work and loyalty and
their families are protected and looked after for life in case of the
bread-winner being killed or jailed. Similarly, disloyalty is met with
immediate lynching.
UNDESIRABLE AXIS
Though silence and secrecy are cardinal in underworld operations to help
evade proofs and the arms of law, the activities at that scale can
hardly go unnoticed by professionals like police. Underworld knows it.
It has the option of taking on the fighting the might of the state
represented by the police or keeping it contented and in good humour.
Being clever and astute businessmen as they are and huge profits at
stake, the underworld opts for cooperation in sharing a farthing
fraction of its res gestae with enforcing agencies like the police.
Police conducts prearranged raids under publicity blitz to straighten
records once in a way. Here also cases fall through in silence as a rule
in courts. In cases of genuine raids by greenhorns, underworld fautors
are alerted in advance ab intra. The backing underworld receives from
the police constitutes its spine in pursuing more and more daring and
dangerous schemes.
LUCRI CAUSA
More often than not, who is who in the underworld and who is behind what
is a public knowledge. The underworld operates on the knowledge that
mere knowledge does not constitute evidence in court of law. All cares
are taken to cover anything that constitutes valid evidence to crimes
committed. Cut-outs is the technique. Silence and secrecy is the method.
Heads of crime syndicates operate with remote control. Contract killers
are made use. Hi-tech communication systems come to them before it
reaches police. Dons guide operations from foreign countries inimical
and having no extradition treaty with the host country a la Dawood
Ibrahim holed up in Karachi with his many lieutenants operating from
Gulf and Far-East countries. An epinosic outcome of mafioso operating
from inimical foreign countries and joining hands with its governments
is the misuse of the former’s criminal networks for subversive
activities in the host country. The ISI of Pakistan used Dawood Ibrahim
in the serial bomb blasts of 1993 in Bombay. The don continues to be at
large. His various factions continue to operate in Bombay and other
cities of India sans souce. This is while their subversive activities
like the serial bomb blasts in Bombay resemble an undeclared war and
seriously sabotaged the security and peace of the country! The factions
continue to operate with great abandon in their traditional strongholds
like Bombay and spread to other major cities like Bangalore sans a trace
of remorse. Reason lies in the enormous money the underworld generates
and spends. It is public knowledge that top politicians of the country
from different political parties including a former central minister
were investigated and tried for harbouring associates of Dawood Ibrahim.
This is only iceberg. India has chief ministers having close links with
the underworld. Many rose to powerful positions with the money and
muscle of the underworld. Quid pro quo naturally follows. Underworld has
become a highly lucrative business in India.
GLAMOUR
Plush money and wealth make underworld a fastuous world. Members of the
underworld are seen in finest dresses, driving costliest cars,
frequenting best five star hotels and living in beautiful bungalows in
best localities of the town. Their ostentatious and comfortable
life-style, indulgences in sex and scandals, outrageous adventures etc.
tend to fool the hoi polloi to remanticise the underworld. The
underworld itself uses masterly propaganda to boost its image in the
public eyes. Series of popular films extolling the virtues and lives of
mafia dons as heroes being churned out from Bollywood is a common
knowledge. Indian filmworld in the taut prise of the easy funds from the
underworld help the latter to manipulate the filmworld to its advantage.
In the ensuing publicity blitz, guillible public forget that the
underworld is a pack of hors la loi indulging in antinational and
antisocial activities. The underworld knows the utility of the
sympathies of the public. It uses every trick in the book to win over an
own following.The Arun Gawli phenomenon in Bombay as an instant
political leader and the ascendancy of his Akhila Bharatiya Sena is an
extreme manifestation of such a process.
EXPANSION
Underworld tries to gain a foot –hold wherever there is enormous and
instant easy money. It does everything to grow, spread and ultimately
take over that. It be hotel business, land deals, film production of
construction business, underworld steals a share either as protection
money or returns of direct investment. When construction business dried
of plush money, underworld turned to the film world in a big way with
its easy funds at disposal for investments in the field. Recent series
of murders in the filmworld in Bombay and Bangalore are results of the
involvement of mafia in film business.
DANGEROUS GROWTH
The most dangerous trend of recent underworld phenomenon in India is the
rise of a supreme don and his unlimited powers posing threat to the
peace and security of the country. More so, while he is holed up in an
inimical foreign country and guiding operations in India by remote
control. Various factions of Dawood Ibrahim are creating havoc in
Bombay. They are now looking outside to grow. Bangalore saw myriad
gangwars and murders in recent past as a consequence . Police knew
everything and noticed every move. Underworld takes care to keep key
figures in police on the right side before forcing into a new region.
Bangalore underworld resisted Bombay underworld invading Bangalore. The
result was gangwars and murders. Police was vertically split ab intra
between the two gangs. Plans of attacks on rivals were plotted in posh
hotels and bars and murders were committed in daylight. In spite of the
knowledge of the plots and plans, police come to picture after the
commission of the crimes. In a recent instance, a key mafioso arrested
was taken to a district headquarters for further investigation. The
gangster disappeared from the toilet of a restaurant while police
officers having his custody were sipping tea in the restaurant. Such a
fredaine is not possible without the active backing and cooperation of
the police. In another instant in the same city, a police team sent from
the state capital to apprehend a budding mafia don, entered the place
where the gangster was hiding. The gangster was waitiing for his friend
in a car outside while the team arrived. A senior member of the police
team came directly to the car and informed the ganster to leave the
place immediately as they had come to arrest him. The ganster
immediately drove away from the place. The police team formally
conducted search of the place and reported back that the gangster was
not traced there. This is species of what happens in most actions
against mafioso and the underworld. In most gangwars and murders,
friendly police officers from the spot of crime are taken into
confidence and informed in advance about the impending plans by the
underworld to keep ground ready in their favour. This is the scenario of
the axis between the police and the underworld.
Underworld can be brought on knees only by breaking the axis between
them and the police. While gangsers are the visible body of the
underworld, police is its spine. Underworld cannot stand up without the
backing of the police. The axis between the two is based on the money
and muscle power of the underworld generated by massive illegalities.
Underworld is flanked by the laws operating against it on one side and
enormous money and muscle power working in its favour on the other.
Though police has the responsibility to side with the law, it finds the
money on the other side more attractive and desirable. Ergo, the vicious
axis between the police and the underworld. This is the crux of the
problem of policing the underworld. The problem needs committed police
doing professional policing that is nonexistent in extant India. The
country is caught in a 22-catch situation. Any attempt to handle the
problem of the underworld must begin with the police. Until it is done,
underworld is bound to grow from strength to strength to eat up the
vitals of the country and render it hollow democratically.
THE CRUMBLING STEELFRAME OF INDIA
The malleability of the Civil Services has been a cause for concern.
Once considered the backbone of administration, the steel frame
today is a pale shadow of its former self, needing urgent reorganisation
The All India Service were once called the Steel Frame that held India,
a country which consisted of diverse political systems, comprising
British Indian and many other big and small princely States, together.
If India is one today- though in truncated form-the efficiency of its
vintage. All India Services is as much responsible for this as the might
of the British Empire.
The credit for India having made impressive progress, both in the
domestic and international fields and having survived the uncertain,
initial years of democracy, under leaders who had no experience of
ruling a country of India’s size and diversity, also goes to the
original All India Services- to its traditions and efficiency, that
continued to survive for some years even after Independence.
The sterling performances of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel in the
unification of India and the brilliant achievements of Jawaharalal Nehru
in the international field are as much the success stories of their
civil servant secretaries and advisers as of the leaders themselves.
The fall in standards of the All India Services, in the values of their
officers and in their efficiency and performance, is symbolic of the
fall India itself has experienced.
The All India Services experienced a setback after Independence. This
deterioration was in depth of ideas, quality of performance and honesty
of convictions of their officers. With this deterioration, to All India
Service are no longer in a class of their own. Its members can no longer
claim a distinguished standing in society as the All India Services have
been reduced to merely good careers.
The Civil Services had inherited, as a result of their exclusive place
in the higher levels of administration, high pay packets and good
perquisites, attractive service conditions and an awe-inspiring
tradition. But since this was not accompanied by superior performance,
the consequence is that the reins of democratic India are now in the
hands of people who are in no way superior in terms of intellectual
worth, administrative skill or human qualities. This is a tragedy for a
democracy struggling to progress.
The British created to All India Services to handle the administration
of the country. They recruited talented people, imparted the best
possible training to them and invested them with the trust, powers and
opportunities to carry out their responsibilities.
They took care of all their personal needs, provided them with many
opportunities for growth and surrounded them with a halo of exclusivity
by endowing them with high social status and providing them with
generous creature comforts.
Independent India needed brilliant people to handle its complex
administrative problems and to implement its developmental schemes. It
is tragic that India after independence not only failed to realise the
importance of maintaining its Steel Frame and improving upon it, but
positively contributed to its collapse in a very short span of time.
Indian leaders wanted the All India Service of independent India to
break away from the British model they had originally been based on and
they gave expression to this desire by altering the name of the
Services. It is ironical that the change in name also initiated a steep
fall in the quality of the Civil Services.
At present, the Indian Administrative Services is not even a pale shadow
of the old Indian Civil Services. The Indian Foreign Service stands
nowhere near the brilliant Indian Political Service and the present
Indian Police Service lacks the backbone and professionalism of the good
old Indian Police.
A major cause for the disappearance of excellence from the All India
Services of independent India was the secret tendency of the new leaders
to look at the All India Services as their rivals in running the
country, rather than as the backbone of the State. A subtle fear of the
All India Services inherited from British India days accompanied by a
sense of awe that the services inspired because of the halo worn by its
predecessor, stirred the new leaders who made every effort to cut the
Civil Services to size and show them their proper place.
SORRY STATE OF AFFAIRS
This occurred together with a fall in the standards of management of the
Civil Services because of the failure to recognise the importance of the
Civil Services in administering the nation. This fall succeeded in
bringing the All India Services of the post Independence era to its
present state.
This brought the Services closer to the people of India in a way, while
stripping it of all its brilliance, excellence and efficiency to give
India a mediocre All India Services to handle its administration. And
the result of this is the present state of the country.
The poor state of the Civil Services attracted people of poor calibre.
This led to all kinds of evils including corruption, opportunism and
lack of moral strength to stand by one’s values and convictions.
This situation led to loss of face and subordinated the All India
Services to the ambitions of the political leadership. Its has been a
long journey from the bold and awe-inspiring All India Services that
existed at the dawn of Independence to the present meek and servile All
India Services without any backbone to stand erect and hold its head
high.
The reasons for the fall and the mechanism that brought about the
change, are not far to seek. Everything that made the All India Services
of the British days a powerful adminicle for the administration was just
swept away while its new avatar in independent India was brought into
existence.
The glory of the old All India Services was built on the 3 basic
strengths of faultless recruitment, perfect training and the maintenance
of the highest standards of professionalism and character t sustain it
throughout. These strengths held the Steel Frame of India together for
nearly a century. But independent India just failed to give these
factors the importance they deserved while constituting its version of
the All Indian Services.
The primacy British India gave to the process of selection of people of
high calibre to the All India Services is perhaps the single major
factor that made the Civil Services among the best in the world.
Promising people with maturity and intellectual superiority were
selected young through a vigorous and efficient filtering process of a
carefully devised elaborate public civil examination process under the
guidance, supervision and control of highly qualified professionals in
the field.
Rarely was anything other than exceptional merit considered in the
process of selection and human weakness like nepotism, corruption and
parochial considerations rarely interfered in the process, as Britain
was not prepared to compromise and accept anyone less than the best in
the higher levels of administration. These people were, after all, to
sit on equal terms with them and help in administering the country!
These high standards in the process of selection and recruitment, made
the All India Services of British days, a really superior cadre.
REASONS FOR DETERIORATION
The grand structure of British rule was to be mercilessly demolished
later by independent India. Unimaginative and messy selection and
recruitment procedures, which were poorly conceived and unskilfully
executed became the order of the day. Corruption, nepotism, narrow
considerations and caste and economic reservations corroded the
foundations of the newly-constituted All India Services as time passed.
The reasons for this deterioration in the Civil Services are many. The
first is the general lack of passion for quality and excellence in the
Indian psyche. The agency in charge of the process of such selections,
namely, the Union Public Service Commission, unlike in the British
period, is unfortunately increasingly being manned by people unequal to
the task either in terms of their professionalism, efficiency and
passion for brilliance or in their basic character itself.
As the selection of members of the UPSC became politicised, mediocre
people came to fill the slots and in the process, selections to the All
India Services suffered. Since members owed their memberships or
chairmanship to their political leaders, they could not avoid the
obligatory quid pro quo. This continues to be the state of affairs
today.
The Indian Civil Service, which once produced giants like K.P.S. Menon,
now produces in its new avatar of the IAS and Allied Services only
pigmies without voice or strength of conviction. In this matter, they
are like those in the crippled institution of the union Public Service
Commission who select them. The Steel Frame of the IAS has nor become a
gilded plastic frame with its steel conscience crumbling into a plastic
conscience in the present uncertain political atmosphere. A Steel Frame
Civil Service would never have permitted such a degeneration.
The degeneration is manifeast at all ranks in all services, whether it
is the administrative service, the foreign service, the police service,
the forest service, the central services or the specialised services,
whether at the sub-divisional or provincial level or at the highest
levels of Central Government. The degeneration is uniform everywhere.
Whether it be in creative genius, intellectual heights, strength of
character, moral values, width of human interests or noble qualities,
the Civil Service of the post-Independence era are third rate. It does
not have its own voice or any originality. Its members either as Chief
Secretaries of State Governments or as Secretaries of various ministries
of departments, are at best paper-pushers and mindless approvers of
reports incompetently prepared by subordinates down the line.
Imagine people of such calibre presiding over the entire Civil Services.
Thus develops a vicious circle that promotes the degeneration of the
Civil Services.
Sturdy and sterling All Indian Services are indispensable for the
survival of democratic and united India. Whether it is a cadre of
generalists as the Indian Administrative Service is, or cadres of
specialists in the fields of judiciary, health care, engineering,
economics, foreign service, police etc the existence of All Indian
Services functions as the basis of governance of India and adds to the
emotional bonds binding the country together.
Also, as a pool of the cream of the people, it is supposed to bring
distinguished and brilliant people to the job of administration of the
country and thereby ensure good government to the country.
THE REMEDY
Any dilution of the high standards of these services is certain to throw
the country to the wolves. British India knew this and perhaps,
independent India also knows it. But it does nothing to arrest the
dangerous fall in the standards of its All India Services.
India is preoccupied with myriad issues relating to economic and social
development and perhaps the rapid deterioration of its All India
Services does not appear to be important in comparison with these
burning issues. But such a feeling is wrong. All India Services are a
precondition for the survival of India. India must realise this fact and
act fast.
This brings us to the quintessential question as to how the Civil
Services can be brought back to their original standards and glory. How
can we get back the original ideas, quality and performances and honesty
of convictions that existed earlier?
The first and foremost task in this regard is pruning the Civil Services
to a small brains trust of brilliance and commitment which will steer
the country in the right direction by giving competent advice on
statecraft and actually running the administration to political leaders.
A TINY SELECT GROUP:
Merciless pruning of the extant services to create this tiny, efficient
and highly responsible core is a priority task. Only brilliance and the
highest potential should be the criteria for membership in this
nerve-centre.
This brains trust must be kept beyond the purview of extraneous
constraints like reservation of any kind and even age restrictions. The
guiding principle here is bringing together the best talents without
restraints of any kind, for ensuring best results. The services should
not be treated as an employment opportunity for the elite, but as the
foundation of the Government.
INTELLECTUAL CALIBRE:
The training programmes for the services have to be made relevant today.
Matter taught has to be updated every year by experts and made changing
evento the brightest among the new recruits, unlike present training
programmes which are intellectually impoverished, irrelevant to the
times and which in no way help ensuring the right attitudes at the
higher levels.
Another need is to make the passing of a promotional test, of a very
standard, held by the UPSC or a similar Central agency, mandatory for
promotion at every level. Only such tough measures will keep the Civil
Services fit and productive as is required for the sound health of the
administration of the country.
TONING UP THE UPSC:
Overhauling the present mediocre Union Public Service Commission to
create an efficient and responsible set-up capable of handling the
enormous responsibilities under Article 320 of the Indian Constitution,
is essential in order to arrest the degeneration that has set in, in the
set-up. This has led to blunders in identifying talent and in managing
the Civil Services.
CREDIBILITY OF THE UPSC:
In a recent case, 3 promising officers from the State cadre of a
southern State of India, were denied selection by the UPSC to an All
India Service for no obvious reason for 10 years from 1990, while their
juniors were elevated. The acute frustration and demoralisation caused
by this led to the break-up of the family of one of the promising trio.
Violent behaviour by him repeatedly in public led to very embarrassing
public humiliations, and ultimately involvement in a murder case led to
his conviction. This is how a reckless and irresponsible UPSC ruined a
promising life for no reason at all.
However, another of the trio was an officer of enormous inner strength
as well as a poet and an intellectual of the highest calibre. He
weathered the frustration of the 9 years to rise to a very high level in
individual achievement and public esteem to the shame of the
irresponsible UPSC.
The incident created much resentment in the State against the
recklessness of the UPSC and considerably lowered its credibility. Such
transgressions are common these days with the present state of affairs
in the UPSC and the overhauling of the organisation should be aimed at
preventing such irresponsible actions that can have such tragic
consequences.
REORGANISATION OF THE UPSC:
The way to prevent such unprofessionalism on the part of the UPSC lies
in transforming it to a highly efficient outfit managed by people of
unimpeachable character and efficiency. This objective can be achieved
by suitable amendment to Articles 316 and 317 of the Indian Constitution
to ensure that only suitable people become Members and Chairman of the
organisation and remain in the saddle only as long as they retain their
moral and professional calibre.
This can be made possible by constituting a committee comprising the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chief Commissioner of the
Central Vigilance Commission and the Speaker of Parliament as members.
The Vice-President of India should be the Chairman and clear the names
for appointment as Members and as the Chairman of the UPSC for a fixed
tenure. These people should also be empowered to initiate actions for
their removal by an appropriate procedure in fit cases.
Appropriate changes to this effect in Articles 316 and 317 of the Indian
Constitution are likely to plug the existing loopholes that allow too
much political interferences in the process of the selection of Members
and Chairman of the UPSC and thereby in its fair functioning.
CAUGHT IN THE VICIOUS CIRCLE OF CORRUPTION
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr.M.Karunanidhi, in a scathing attack on
the Tamil Nadu police after he assumed charge of the State Government in
1996, said “ Three fourths of the police force, which, to the State, is
like liver to human body, has become rotten.” The remark coming from an
experienced chief executive of a State distinguished for its efficient
police force until a few decades ago indicates the atrophy that has set
in, in the Indian police. The department cannot stay untouched while
there is marked fall in the standards of diligence and integrity in
other walks of life. Indian police adopted and adapted itself to corrupt
surroundings.
The basic ingredients of corruption in India are money and power. As
Government service, even at the higher rungs, has lost its charm in
terms of remuneration and status, it has been attracting only the second
best among youth who otherwise would be left in the lurch. Professional
dignity and integrity have been brushed aside leading to corruption.
Priorities in service have been shuffled, the sole objective being money
and power. Organisational objectives have been completely lost sight of.
Shift in diligence helped to build money-power while shift in loyalties
facilitated proximity to power-brokers. The degeneration spread rapidly
with the passage of time as organisational commitments became outdated
demode and pragmatism taught that immediate personal interests are for
leading a good life. This was the beginning of corruption of Indian
police.
A major contributing factor has been the gross fall in professional
pride among the personnel. Grass and insensitive handing of the
policemen and police matters by political leaders has eroded the morale
and the sense of belonging to the police force. Attempts to suppress and
gain complete hold over the bureaucracy and the police in democratic
India have affected the police adversely causing a sense of inadequacy.
The lack of motivation to achieve organisational goals and show results
is a clear manifestation of the fall in professional pride. The police,
which once was proud to enforce law, to maintain order and to ensure
peace and security, have lost all the enthusiasm as these factors became
political and lost their importance otherwise. Crimes, criminals and law
and order problems were all subject to political convenience. The
development shattered the professional pride of the police and struck a
blow to their motivation towards organisational ends. No organisation
can exist without a driving force to sustain it. When there is a vacuum
of a drive to carry it onward, it is filled by corruption.
Policing is more a profession than a job. While job involves performing
a task entrusted, profession entails dedication and commitment to a
cause; in the case of the police upholding the rule of law and
safeguarding the security of the country. How dedicated are the police
to this cause in India? Simple observation of criminal activities around
and police responses to them give clues to the situation.
Let us take an obvious example- open sale of smuggled articles in
exclusive markets maintained for the purpose in major cities of India.
The common justification of the police for allowing such markets to do
business is that no hard evidences to prove offence are available. This
is unbelievable. If the police, with the resources at its disposals
cannot collect evidence against the illegal activities conducted openly
on such a large scale, it is not worth being in existence. There is not
even a single case anywhere in India of such exclusive markets dealing
with smuggled articles being shut down and the illegal activities being
brought to a halt by prosecuting the sharks of the smuggling world.
The same is true of stolen articles. The footpath vendors in specified
market areas trade in consumer goods, running to crores of rupees each
day, without paying legal dues to the Government in the form of sales
and income taxes and in violation of various rules and laws. The illegal
business contributes to the growth of parallel economy of black money in
the country. These markets thrive before the eyes of the local police
force.
Either the police do not have the professional resolve to bring the
illegal activities to halt or the offenders who indulge in them have the
police backing in running the business. In other words, the police are
hand in glove with them.
The leeway involved in the exercise of power, coupled with the
sensitivity of the job, renders the force vulnerable to corruption.
Letting gambling dens flourish, backing the manufacture and sale of
illicit liquor, overlooking prostitution, black-marketing and drug
trafficking, changing the course of investigation to save certain
criminals or deciding the process of arrests and seizures to favour
certain individuals or parties, make life different for the people
involved. On the one hand, illicit business carried out with police
patronage or tacit support make huge grists in which the police
naturally have a huge share. On the other hand, the culprits are
prepared to pay any price in order to divert the attention of the
police. Huge sums of money change hands either to avoid arrest, search
and seizure or to change the very course of investigation. The police
can be part of such dirty deals without leaving a clue.
A fall-out of corruption is, the dishonest thrive at the cost of honest
professional. Flexible elements are useful assets to people in key
positions to save their kith and kin as the when they get involved in
criminal proceedings. Such characters in police are always cultivated
and posted to key positions so that compromises can be easily mached
Honest police officers are sidelined.
The need for police is limited to the need to have an obedient force at
the disposal of the rulers for use wherever they feel like. The
existence of such a force gives the common man a feeling of security.
The force also helps to absorb the blames heaped on the rulers while
things go wrong. While these cardinal goals are met by the mere
existence of the police, anything in addition, say professionalism,
integrity and honesty become achronisms. The general perception is that
an upright police force is always an inconvenience to the people and
therefore is not always tolerated and encouraged.
Corrupt police is the product of a corrupt society and corrupt police in
turn perpetuate corruption in society. This forms a vicious circle. As
corruption takes control and spreads to all strata of the force, upright
elements in the force become a minority and also forfeit the coveted
position in the organisation as inconvenient candidates. They are
scorned, detested and avoided as moles in the mainstream. Taking
recourse to unfair and illegal means to crush upright officers in also
not uncommon. Though courts of law can theoretically protect officers
against such harassment, expenses, time and uncertainties involved and
the history of court judgements render the protection meaningless and
force the upright officer to silently bear all humiliations and losses
or yield to the pressures. It is to the credit of Indian police that it
has great officers who have withstood all slights without yielding to
pressure.
In the olden days, corruption was confined to the lower strata of
officials. The situation has changed now; it originates from the above
and percolates downwards. An intelligence chief may drive his unwilling
subordinates to adopt all sorts of illegal methods including telephone
tapping, political espionage and other dirty tricks in his attempts to
win over his political masters and may even succeed at the cost of more
senior aspirants. Now, what about the subordinates once his business is
done. His worry is how to use his new position to further his prospects
before he retires in a few months. As the date of retirement approaches,
his perception of right and wrong blurs in the lust to make the most of
the position. This is the crux of the problem of corruption.
Freeing the police from the grip of corruption is a priority for
rebuilding India. A non-corrupt police is the beacon of a healthy
society. The police can usher in a healthy social life in the country
only by first getting itself rid of the cobwebs of corruption and then
infusing professionalism in its work. It must elevate itself to the
heights expected of it as the guardian of the rule of law, justice and
fairness in the social structure of the country.
NEED TO LIBERATE LAW ENFORCERS FROM UNHOLY ALLIANCES
Crime, politics and the police are the three sides of the vicious
triangle within which the future of democratic Indian and its free
people are trapped. Although wealthy industrial and commercial houses
form a fourth dimension, their techniques are as yet limited to
manipulative strategies to gain a strangle hold over political power by
remote control. It is their wealth that fills the coffers of the troika
and helps reduce the normal life of free citizens to a welter of
uncertainties and endless misery.
Politicians protect criminals from the law while criminals reciprocate
by acting as their henchmen. Policemen go to politicians for job
protection and strike an understanding with the criminals to make money.
Thus works this nexus of vile power-brokers, preying on innocent people,
bloating itself on the blood of the hapless masses. The trio of
manipulators is a dangerous force in the Indian democratic situation.
Combined as a tight-knit power-block, they have touched all the facets
of public life with the sole intention of garnering all the benefits.
The tragedy here is that the vice is perpetrated by those whom the
public trust as their benefactors and protectors. The amoral side of
this operation does not seem to have affected either the police or the
politicians in any way and the abuse against the Indian public goes on
unabated. It seems that all actors in this tragic drama think that
Indian democracy is a free-for-all field to grab to the maximum in a
world where all look for themselves and only those who grab the most
survive. This approach is certain to undermine not only the democratic
setup of the nation, but its very social fabric.
When the maintenance of law and order is in the hands of unscrupulous
police, queer things may take place. Long ago, a dacoity was reported in
the house of a person of dubious reputation in a particular district .
People who knew the background said the act was committed by his
illegitimate son after a serious quarrel. Court cases were pending
against the son. A case was registered with the local police. The
complainant however thought it was best to patch up with the suspect in
order to protect his family honour. This was done and the case was
pursued with an ex-convict being picked up and shown as the accused.
Arrest,” recovery” and chargesheet followed a decade after the dacoity.
Such developments make criminal administration a mockery. What a serious
breach of public trust it was and what a serious crime was committed by
the police who involved a person whom they knew did not commit the
offence!
In another incident that dates back to 1981, a police official in charge
of a subdivision in Karnataka picked up a poor goldsmith from a small
town for interrogation about receiving stolen properties. He subjected
him to torture in a tourist bungalow of the same town for two nights to
make the innocent goldsmith confess to something he had not done.
The goldsmith died on the second night of torture. The official who has
worked as Circle Inspector in the town until a few months before, had
indulged in this activity without the knowledge of the senior police
officers of the town. The news of the lockup death, as such deaths are
popularly known, was published in local and other newspapers.
The wife of the goldsmith filed a complaint before the local court. The
District Superintendent of Police and the Range Deputy Inspector General
of Police, who had benefited from the flexible ways of the official when
he was the Circle Inspector, rose to the occasion to save their protégé.
They visited the town and entrusted the investigation to a Deputy
Superintendent of Police of neighbouring subdivision with oral orders to
certify the case as not proved. The Deputy Superintendent complied and
sent his repot to the court and that was the end of the case. A police
official who with the support of his community, got posted as the police
chief of a State in 1986, wanted to favour a fingerprint sub-Inspector,
who has been under suspension for long after being arrested in a
criminal case of community interests. He summoned the Superintendent of
Police in charge of the case and examined the file about the suspension.
The Superintendent of Police failed to understand that the action was an
indication that he was to end the Sub-Inspector’s punishment. Even of he
had understood, he could not have acted for, the Sub-Inspector had been
suspended by an officer of the rank of the Deputy Inspector General of
Police, Moreover the case was pending trial in a court. After a
fortnight, the police chief secured the Sub-Inspector’s release, but
nurtured a grudge against the young Superintendent. He manipulated the
records and made sure that the latter was not selected for the Indian
Police Service. The career of a bright officer suffered a severe
setback. Such cases of avenging non-cooperation are common these days.
The trend is adversely affecting the organisation by weakening its cause
for fairness, law and justice.
How subordinates are brought around is another story. A young sub
divisional police officer in a small town known for its speculative
business activities conducted a raid on a library, run by a powerful
local community. It was actually a gambling house patronised by
prominent people of the town. The officer rounded up more than 50
prominent people including rich businessmen, senior government officials
and local politicians, with huge stake monies. Though the library had
been a gambling den for years, none had dared to raid it in spite of
repeated public petitions.
As the law requires that the place must first be proved to be a common
gambling house, the officer recorded in the station house diary the
names of all those who were gambling at the place and let them of with a
written warning that cases would be booked if they continued to gamble
there. The officer learnt too late that the gambling den was patronised
by the Superintendent of Police of the district and the Deputy Inspector
General of the range and the men were their friends. He was transferred
to a remote place, with the annual confidential report stating that the
public might revolt against the officer if he continued . The library
continues to be a gambling den. The DIG at the place of the new posting
of the officer wanted him to marry a girl from his circle. His parents
however, got him married to a girl of their choice. This antagonised the
DIG who, in his next annual confidential report, showed his junior as a
liability to the police department. Also he prevailed upon other
officers who wrote confidential reports to give adverse remarks. Most of
them obliged and the appeals of the junior officer were never allowed to
reach the government.
It is to his credit that the officer did not break down and continues in
service while his far less competent colleagues have overtaken him on
the career ladder. Denied selection to the all-India service, he later
appealed to the Chief Secretary not to consider him any more for the
service. He took this drastic step in utter contempt for the corrupt
department heads who sat above him and decided his career advances.
Is it by design or accident that independent India has raised a criminal
outfit to catch criminals? It is in the interest of the police to accept
the reality so that remedy could be thought of.
Unhealthy practices of myriad variety are found at the highest levels. A
recent instance is that of a police chief who, along with his wife, was
taken to court on the eve of his retirement to face trial for defrauding
the public and a spastic society in whose name he sold(charity)
entertainment tickets. It is a different story that the officer managed
to silence the social worker who brought up the charges and made sure
the case fell through for lack of evidence. To what sad levels could men
in high ranks stoop to make a few dirty bucks!
The Indian Police Service continues to be an intellectually poor
unattractive realm with only the mediocre opting for it. The
constabulary which forms the bulk of the service is largely constituted
by people from the lower strata of society who are diffident and hence
do not exercise their powers against the more enlightened people. The
tendency to foul-up superior intellect and excellence is another factor
that has adversely affected the police setup. The general reluctance to
adopt modern techniques of policing and management, the dogmatic
approach to man-to-man and public relations and the lack of
understanding of human nature are other factors responsible for the
unfortunate state of affairs. These problems can be overcome only by
efficient police leadership at all levels and only if a semblance of
objectivity reasonableness and good judgement touches the core of the
police administration.
At present, growth is not much more than a spasmodic reaction to stimuli
and lacks the benefit of an integrated approach. A permanent cell of
organisation experts under the direct control of the police chief to
redefine the police organisation is required to make it more meaningful
and need-based. This could help in streamlining the hierarchy by
eliminating redundant posts, rationalising workloads, preventing
duplication and redefining duties and procedures and thus the rights and
responsibilities at each level. Result: police functioning would be made
more cost-effective and efficient.
The annual assessment of men and officers in the police has become a
travesty of what it used to be or meant to be. In no way, under the
present circumstances, does an ACR reflect an officer’s qualities or
capabilities. It is believed that the department would be far better off
without this pernicious evaluation process that breeds corruption and
bias. What characterises the ACR today is a distinct lack of
objectivity; it has become a means to personal ends, a medium for the
advancement of individual interests and even settlement of personal
scores. Servility is its inevitable consequence and it would not be
immoderate to say that eliminating the ACR altogether would be certainly
a step forward. If policing is to be effective in the years ahead,
specialisation is crucial. I suggest three distinct police services with
separate recruitment and training: (1) Regulatory police or uniformed
police in charge of law and order and other regulatory duties; (2)
Mainstay police in charge of crime investigation and prevention and
security and intelligence operation; (3) Social police in charge of
prevention and investigation of all social offences and implementation
of social legislation. All three wings should have their own individual
organisations up to the district level with independent Superintendents
and staff as required, functioning in tandem in much the same way as the
Army, Navy and Air Force. At the apex could be a specially constituted
body called the State Police Authority with the chiefs of all three
wings as members and the Chief Secretary as chairman.
All the present maladies emanate from the politicians who are only
concerned with winning the next elections. Until the organisation is
extricated from the grip of politicians, it cannot hope to rise above
the mediocre level, either in proficiency or in character. Such
mediocrity is wont to percolate downwards in a democratic setup.
An All India Police Authority accountable only to th President of India
at the national level with the regional Police Boards in States as
independent bodies should be created. The Authority must be headed by a
Supreme Court judge with the Union Home Secretary and the Cabinet
Secretary as members and the senior most police officer of the country
as the member-secretary. The regional Police Boards must have a High
Court Judge at the helm with the Home secretary and the Chief Secretary
as members and the State Police chief as member-secretary. The
arrangement will bring to an end interference of any kind in police
affairs, thus enabling the personnel to function in an independent
atmosphere.
POLICE UNPROFESSIONAL
Policemen are executives of law and executors of the rule of law. As
professionals, their only interests are the laws of the country and its
enforcement at all costs including personal safety and self-interests.
This, however, is only an ideal situation. The job culture and peer
pressure play a major role in setting the standards in an organisation.
This situation is not quite happy regarding the Indian police now. The
reason is the general collapse of the professional instinct, caused by
the degeneration of values. Society gets the police it deserves. A
country of self-seekers naturally has a self-seeking police force and
the consequence is lawlessness. This is the malady India suffers from.
The symptoms are crime, disorder and insecurity that have kept the
country and its people in a stranglehold.
An incident that took place 16 years ago in Chitradurga district of
Karnataka will illustrate the kind of professional commitment Indian
police pursue. A gambling den was raided by the police and the owner
spoke lowly of the DIGP whom he said was taking “ mamools” from him
every month. The matter was reported by a local newspaper. This
infuriated the DIG and the police turned its ire on the newspaper. The
Deputy Superintendent of Police of the sub-division in which the range
headquarters was situated joined the fight and a gang ransacked the
office and the press of the news paper a week later. Though a case was
registered with the local police station and the owner of the newspaper
moved heaven and earth to bring the culprits to book, nothing came out
of it and the case went undetected. But the people knew who were behind
it all.
Such episodes shatter the trust of the public who cannot look upon the
police as the guardian of their rights and interests. Basically, lapses
lie more in the concepts than in individuals. The police as a collective
force operated to wreak vengeance on the newspaper for factual
reporting, though somewhat indiscreet. But going on a rampage, however
highly placed the officer in question could be, in nothing but, making a
mockery of professional objectives. The most disturbing aspect of the
present Indian police is the slow and steady process of replacement of
the passion for law, justice and fairness by a single-pointed indulgence
of self-seeking tendencies as the drive of the police system. Much more
disquieting is the attitude of the public about the development and
their complete dependence on the police as the protector of their legal
rights, provider of security ad dispenser of justice. What is actually
happening is a great betrayal. Indeed, the tool, namely the police, is
there to enforce law and provide security. But it has become the
handmaid of the rich and influential and serves the interests of the
people in that stratum of the population.
Self-seeking tendencies express themselves at all levels of policing and
management of organisational matters. As far as policing is concerned,
be it crime-prevention or investigation, collection of intelligence or
management of internal security or maintaining law and order,
self-interest has role to play. It’s expression in crime management is
too obvious a matter.
While intelligence collection is becoming a politically oriented
function, internal security operations are no more than providing cover
to political bigwigs and other influential people at the cost of more
pressing problems of national magnitude.]
Law and order has become a tool in the hands of the politicians and the
policemen make themselves available for such games. In the process,
honest policemen suffer and the morale of the system receives a serious
setback. The result is lawlessness spawned by the absence of effective
policing and wrong models as the protectors of law.
The parochial instinct of the police expresses itself in the management
and organisational matters. Under the cover of discipline and the need
of tacit obedience, the game of favouritism is wilfully played on the
one hand and any resistance is ruthlessly crushed on the other.
Organisational processes such as promotions and transfers are widely
used to achieve personal ends. Posts with no job content are created in
various ranks primarily to accommodate officers who refuse to fall in
line with the higherups for reasons of conscience and professional
integrity. It an upright officer takes a sinecure posting in his stride
and refuses to part with his principles, he is harassed through other
means. Recently the commandant of a training college pressed his
higherups and the state Home Secretary for the removal of a functionary
of the college from his important postion. The latter was accused of
involvement in a fraudulent act involving several lakhs of rupees. The
Home Secretary and the chief of the unit ( in the rank of DGP) made sure
that the commandant of the college faced the consequences for
recommending action on their favourite official. His vehicle was
withdrawn, telephones were disconnected, his personal staff was harassed
and his subordinates were encouraged to disobey. This continued until
the officer who found functioning impossible went on leave. He reported
back to duty only after he was transferred out. More surprising is that
such incidents take place in the open without any attempt to keep it
secret or discreet.
Professional pride is the panacea for the malady of self-interest in
professionals. Greating an ambience of professional pride is a sure way
of nurturing and promoting high professional standards and efficiency.
It is immaterial whether high professional pride creates high standards.
The fact is both are important to create a conducive environment of
professionalism.
India definitely needs such a professional environment in its police
force to strengthen its democratic traditions and the roots of the rule
of law. An organised effort is on in the Indian police to force its
members to fall in line at the cost of individual brilliance and
creative abilities. The policemen are starved of innovative steps. The
organisation follows the principle of nipping talent in the bud
insisting on unquestioning servitude. The talk of the top brass on
public platforms about the need to nurture excellence and the
outstanding qualities is a farce. Most leaders prefer status quo at the
peril of the growth of the organisation so that their interests remain
undisturbed.
For administering the medication, first, topmost police leaders of the
country need to be convinced that the police of present India are really
ailing with serious problems and the system really needs treatment.
WHAT AILS THE INDIAN SECRET POLICE
India’s approach to national security is always piecemeal
Incoherent and casual. Threats are countered with short-
Term responses which never fulfil the vital needs of the
country. Espionage performance is below the international
standard. The reasons are many but the important ones are
lack of commitment and an approach that is far from
professional.
It is significant that the history of the police of sovereign India
begins soon after the turbulent years of the second World War. The shift
saw an expansion in the vista of policing worldwide, the most important
being clandestine operations for national security. Covert operation
blossomed as a full-fledged institution and was recognised as a tool of
statecraft only during and after the second World War (Germany, the
Soviet Union and Britain before and during the war and the U.S. and
Israel after it perfected the techniques.
The establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the early
Fifties from the remnants of the office of Special Services( OSS), with
an exclusive division to handle clandestine operations abroad (sometimes
domestic operations also) marked a milestone in the history of
intelligence.
Free India , in spite of its moral values and abiding faith in the
Gandhian philosophy of truth and honesty, found covert operations
indispensable for survival. Though attempts were scratchy in the
beginning India made significant breakthroughs in penetrating, moulding
and controlling the affairs of neighbours after setting up the Research
and Analysis Wing (RAW) to handle covert operations in foreign
countries. Its operations and performance in Bangladesh, Sri. Lanka and
Pakistan and to a somewhat lesser extent in Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan,
Burma and some of the Gulf countries are equal to the best in the world.
Its role in the creation of Bangladesh, containing the Liberation Tigers
of Tamil Eelam, checkmating Pakistan in Kashmir and controlling the
terrorist misadventures of international Sikh communities against Indian
targets have earned it worldwide accolades. This in spite of the fact
that the Indian secret police is a lightweight performer in the arena of
international clandestine wars and its overall performance is
unimpressive for the size and resources of the country. The reasons are
many.
The first is the lack of commitment to the national cause and ideologies
such as integration, democracy, secularism, nonaligned movement and
mixed economy. Another reason is the moral atrophy experienced by the
police after independence leading to a setback in the professional
approach. Postings to the RAW with opportunities for foreign assignments
have become an obsession depriving the job of all its substance and
spirit.
The other reason is political interference in postings and transfers of
the RAW officials. It is in fact political connections rather than
security screening and clearance and aptitude for clandestine operations
which decide the issue. Huge unbudgeted and unaccounted funds at the
RAWs disposal make the appointments highly lucrative. This is an
extremely dangerous trend in a security apparatus where commitment,
trust and absolute secrecy are vital and draw the line between life and
death.
LACK OF PERSPECTIVE
Clandestine operations require highly specialised skills, Ignoring this
need means compromising and betraying the organisation’s operational
efficiency and exposing the country to dangerous security threats.
Another important reason for the retarded growth of the Indian secret
police is the general lack of security consciousness in the country and
the inability to see and place the imperatives of a national security
policy in the right perspective. These glitches end up in security
breaches. India’s approach to national security is always piecemeal,
incoherent and casual.
It does not have a sound and well-conceived national policy. Security
threats are always treated with short-term face-saving responses which
never contribute to the real long-term security needs of the country.
The people who fought a mighty power to liberate this country from the
yoke of foreign rule just half a century ago have not bothered to start
a public debate on the subject. Indian security now is left at the mercy
of time and it is sheer luck that democracy has escaped the hungry
wolves waiting to prey on it.
Security policy is the essence and unifying factor behind all the
policies of most developed as well as developing countries. Whether in
foreign, defence or economic policy, industry, trade and commerce,
science and technology or human resource development, the policies are
all oriented to national security. Most developed countries have
exclusive super agencies reporting directly to the head of government to
advise it on, oversee and mastermind national security policies and its
operations.
The U.S. has the National Security Agency (NSA) doing yeoman service as
the national security advisor to the President and enjoys more powers
than the CIA. Israel and Russia have efficient outfits at the political
level to formulate their national security interests. Most developed
countries have created their own systems to mastermind matters touching
national security with the power to override the decision of other
departments. India is yet to learn its lessons from these developments.
The excessive concern for national security has led to the creation of
parallel governments and power centres in some countries. There are
instances of black acts being committed against the legitimate policies
of countries in the garb of national security. Pakistan is an example of
a constitutionally-elected government living in the shadow of fear of
its secret police. The Inter-Services Intelligence )ISI) has indeed
taken upon itself the responsibilities of national security.
LOYALTY, A POSITIVE ASPECT
In the context, a positive aspect of India’s poor concern for secret
interests is its clean slate regarding the existence of secret parallel
governments and clandestine power centres. It is creditworthy that the
Indian secret police has remained subordinate and loyal to its
legitimate authorities.
The field of operation for the security agencies continues to be
confined to traditional methods which ignore the needs of a modern
integrated approach in consonance with the national policies and
programmes. India cannot afford to treat its security concerns according
to the whims and fancies of the people who come to head the Ministries
and their political and personal ideologies.
India lacks a regimen of long range security programmes to make its
security operations meaningful and purposeful. It is lagging far behind
the world standards in hi-tech ultra-secret espionage operations. Its
secret police are yet to make proficient use of the country’s impressive
strides in satellite launches and other space innovations. Except
perhaps in the case of Pakistan, India is yet to fully utilise the
service of world-class mercenaries. In short, security is not high on
the priority list.
The state of affairs is even worse in the special branches or
intelligence units of the States and Union Territories. The former have
become tools of the ruling parties which spy over their political
opponents and the field situations. Law and order is pushed to the
background.
As far as internal security is concerned, they are rather ill-equipped
for the task in, manpower resources, hi-tech equipment, expertise,
organisational efficiency and motivation factors, save some routine VIP
security exercises which do not call for expertise. These exercises are
meant just to oblige and gratify political masters.
Their contacts with the news media, a vital link in intelligence
operations, are few and are mostly confined to local newspapers for the
purpose of disinformation and to keep track of news dissemination.
Occasionally, these contacts are misused to promote favourite
subordinates. The role of these special branches in providing skilled
recruits to security agencies at the national level has remained a
dream.
The institution of an apolitical agency with a permanent core group of
experts whose integrity is proven alone can change the situation. This
nucleus will act as the guide, advising the head of government in
national security matters. Efforts made in this direction are rather
sketchy, ill- conceived and half-hearted. It is high time work was done
in earnest to form this comprehensive agency.
VIP PROTECTION
In India, national security, for all practical purposes, is synonymous
with VIP security and the police refuse to look beyond protecting
individuals. This is because of the lopsided loyalties and aberrations
in understanding professional objectives and responsibilities and a
tendency to trade off professional responsibilities and services for
promotions. This explains the existence of the Black Cats, National
Security Guards, Special Protection Group and so on. While the safety of
national leaders is important, it is not the plank on which national
security stands.
The VIP security has become a public farce with all kinds of people
demanding and obtaining security classifications depending on the money
and power they have. They get the cover of highly trained police
personnel as a mark of their prestige and social standing.
All matters concerned with national security are highly sensitive and
should be treated as such. It should not be degraded into a mean
exercise for the benefit of a few persons, however influential and
important they may be.
Each VIP visit to a region ends up with the entire law and order wing of
the police force drawn out for protection duties, throwing normal work
out of gear. With the VIPs busy trotting around the country, it has
become a serious threat to routine police work.
