Exercising Authority

With the swift communication tools available to people nowadays, the challenge for the forces of law and order to respond with the required speed has become even greater. The old protocols no longer work, there cannot be a bureaucratic approach to the problem. One example of this is the disturbances that took place in Nainital, where violence broke out in the streets following the rape of a minor by an elderly man, who happened to be Muslim. It took no time at all for the issue to take a communal turn. It has been reported that the DM and SSP left it to their subordinates in the hill town to manage the problem and arrived at the scene much later, when things had taken a turn for the worse.
That’s the procedure that was followed in the past. Unfortunately, junior officials do not have the wherewithal, the credibility, or the negotiating skills to promise the action sought by agitated crowds. Also, while troublemakers are quick to use the latest technologies to communicate and execute plans, the government agencies do not seem to be up to date in this regard. The DM or SSP do not even have to be physically present at the spot to be ‘hands on’ regarding a problem – they just need to be tech and psychologically savvy.
The blame also falls on the governments in power for giving a long rope to political affiliates in challenging the law. There may be concern among ruling party politicians about various kinds of ‘jihads’ in Uttarakhand, but that should not create an environment in which Muslims become targets for attack by street hooligans. Enforcement of law and order is not just the primary responsibility of government, it is also a means to display the authority of a legally elected government. It may be thought politically convenient to intimidate one or the other section of the people, but in the long run it leads to loss of the people’s confidence. Questions arise about the general ability of leaders to exercise power. It is then only a step away from losing electoral support – nobody admires weakness.
It is, of course, not just a problem emerging in Uttarakhand alone. Karnataka is an example of a state that has lost much of its civilised status because of the appeasement and pandering of anarchic forces by the present government. The Art of Governance seems to have been forgotten or maybe was never learned by the present generation of leaders.