How much in sync with a 21st century nation’s requirements are India’s law enforcement agencies, particularly the Police? A glimpse of this could be had at the 2nd edition of the Crime Literature Festival held in Doon. To the extent that it was a ‘literary’ event, discussions on crime would have had the element of storytelling in it, but for those interested in the professional aspect of policing there was certainly considerable material to ponder upon.
The police in any part of the world have a tough task to perform. The force functions in the world of crime and yet cannot be seduced by its allurements and benefits. This requires not only deeply ingrained professional skills but also a strong sense of morality. It is no surprise that there are many who fail at this task. The Indian police have additional handicaps. Historically, the force served a colonial regime mostly in the capacity of ‘enforcer’ and less as a crime fighter. Traditional ways and customs prevailed in a very varied environment to deal with crime, which could not be encroached upon. How cops were perceived by the people can be gauged from the fact that, in the pre- and post-independence movies, the police landed up only in the last scene to pick up the pieces after the villains had been dealt with by the hero.
Over the years the responsibilities have increased manifold even as the professional capabilities have not quite kept up. The challenges are many. The Indian police are the only force in the world where wrongdoers cannot be handcuffed (technically the first response) without judicial permission. Most of the techniques have been learned and adopted from more developed countries in this regard and it cannot be said that the philosophy, techniques and practices have been indigenised to the point that training could be accordingly provided to the rank and file. Prosecution of criminals has not reached a level that can cut through the maze of judicial requirements and, hence, it is that cases languish in courts for decades. (Of course, the fault also lies with the judiciary.) How much research is done by university scholars into criminal psychology, forensics, thana and chowki level functioning, as also the particular everyday challenges? Of course, there have been individuals who have done well in controlling crime, but has the system learnt from them; indeed, does it even have the capacity to do so? It is in this context that a tradition is being introduced, happily in Dehradun, of brainstorming on these issues, even if it is about storytelling. It is a good beginning.
