By Alok Joshi
Sometimes I wonder if life is a sum-total of coincidences, choices or connectedness (three Cs’). Though Albert Einstein said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous,” I have come to believe that there is always a connection or repercussion of choices we make in life that determines what we do, why we do, where all we work, whom we meet or build relationships with. My surmise is based on events of my own life: switching from teaching to Civil Services to corporate sector; moving from Chandigarh to Nagaland to New Delhi, Mumbai to Sudan to China and finally returning to my roots and settling down in Dehradun.
But this story is not about me. This story is about someone whom I’ve never met but admire a lot. It is about Abhinav Kumar, the new DGP of Uttarakhand. I am not sure if it is a mere coincidence or there is some connection between Dehradun, Dosco and DGP (three Ds) in his case.
Call it coincidence or anything but the fact remains that Abhinav Kumar, IPS, started his career as ASP from Dehradun and reached the highest pedestal of DGP, Uttarakhand, to be posted from where he had started. He has still a long way to go since, reportedly, he is one of the youngest DGPs in the country.
His profile and inspiring career graph made me delve deeper. I stumbled upon another coincidence between us. While he studied in The Doon School from 1984-90, just across the adjoining wall, I had joined as a young executive in Tel Bhawan, ONGC, as staff officer to Member (Personnel), now called Director (HR). He left for his graduation to the UK and I proceeded for my International MBA under UN fellowship to the same country (Slovenia) where his wife is currently the Ambassador of India.
It might surprise readers but way back when Garhwal Post was published on a weekly basis, his first interview got published in July, 2000, upon his posting as ASP to Dehradun.
From then to now, in 2024, it has been a glorious journey for Abhinav Kumar. He started his career as a journalist with the India Today group before being selected for the IPS. He had varied postings during his eventful career where he earned a name for himself as a competent police officer.
After his stint in New Delhi as PS to Shashi Tharoor (then a Union Minister), and Jammu & Kashmir thereafter, he returned to Uttarakhand and took charge as ADG, Administration, Uttarakhand Police, in-charge at Police Headquarters in December 2020. Later, he took charge as ADG Administration, at Police Headquarters. Soon after Pushkar Singh Dhami became the CM, he was given additional charge as Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 9 July to 20 April, 2022. He also assumed additional charge as Special Principal Secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports, Uttarakhand. He held additional charge as Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister.
One of his tweets from 2012 reads, “My love of outdoors from Doon, philosophy from Oxford, patriotism from IPS. Love to read, write, trek, debate. Proud to serve and hope to make a difference.” What struck me most is that he speaks out his mind and has been quite vocal and active on Twitter. Generally, government officials are happy doing their jobs and try to avoid controversies. But he is different. He says what he feels and he means what he says.
More than two decades down the line from his first interview published in Garhwal Post, a lot has changed and a lot still remains the same. His favourite city, Dehradun, has changed dramatically but the law and order situation remains as challenging as ever. In one of his interviews, he rightly said that the concept of friendly-police is only for law abiding citizens and not for law-breakers and criminals. I am sure the new DGP will use innovative approaches to solicit public cooperation to maintain peace and order in the state and deter offenders in their nasty ambitions.
For an ordinary law-abiding citizen, the police force should instil a reasonable amount of fear and trust at the same time. It is not an easy task. I may be wrong but, if people are not afraid of the police, it will encourage crimes and criminals. On a lighter note, while working in China, whenever I suspected the local taxi driver of taking me on a longer route, I would use my trump card by uttering “I will call the police” in Chinese. Everyone was afraid of the police and luckily nothing adverse happened to me as a foreigner in 12 years.
I am sure, with somebody like Abhinav Kumar at the helm of affairs, Uttarakhand will remain a peaceful and attractive destination and enable the authorities to develop the state on all fronts and make us proud.
(Alok Joshi is an HR Advisor, a freelance writer, motivational speaker and author of two books.)
