The incompetence and inefficiency of the police administration is always blamed for such turbulences when the fact is that the police administration can control any situation if allowed to do so. But the powers-that-be, are concerned more with maintaining political gains than maintaining law and order, writes Prof H C Pande
The recent spate of violent agitations has brought to the fore, apparently, the failure of the administrative machinery to learn from the past and anticipate, as well as, control, disruption and disturbances. The excuses for creating a ruckus are manifold, from alleged misrule, to alleged atrocities, to alleged corruption, to even a stiff question-paper. An agitation or two, of small or large magnitude, is always being staged somewhere or the other. The serious negative impact of such disturbances on political, social, economic and academic life of the country is more than evident.
In a manner of speaking, there is also a positive impact, which the country would rather do without, the emergence of entrepreneurs in the business of creation and management of agitations of every size and shape, style and colour.
The incompetence and inefficiency of the police administration is always blamed for such turbulences when the fact is that the police administration can control any situation if allowed to do so. But the powers-that-be, are concerned more with maintaining political gains than maintaining law and order.
Years ago the Home Secretary of a major state was asked why the anti-social elements cannot be identified and picked up he replied that the Police department knows it’s customers, and, if there were no political interference, he would herd all of them in 48 hrs. The very next day, when the same question was put up to the Home Secretary of the neighbouring state he claimed that he could do it in 24 hrs. once the political handcuffs are removed. The root cause of the disappointing law and order situation in the country is that we have a lot of law, but, the order from the top, to maintain order as per law, is missing.
Politicians always suffer from acute myopia,and, cannot see beyond the next election. They have very little interest or even understanding of long pending and long term issues of the country. They focus on immediate party gains and look for band-aid, solutions even where major surgical operation is needed under general anaesthesia. Inadequate medical treatment results in the wound turning septic, and, often enough, septicaemia sets in, requiring amputation.
Criminals have to be dealt with an iron fist and not handled with kid gloves. A hard-core criminal can never be set right by sermons and a term in a Reform School. Human rights have no meaning in dealing with criminals steeped in the slush of human wrongs. This is true of political gangs as well. Their appeasement in any form whets the appetite and more serious problems have to be faced in the future. It is absurd to talk about the technicalities of the law when dealing with habitual law breakers.
Two recent examples would suffice to make the point. In U.P. two mafia dons who have had political patronage are at last facing the music as per the law of the land. It is decades too late but at last the long arm of the law has them in it’s grip. It was possible as their political Godfathers had lost their political clout and the political handcuffs on the wrists of the administration had been removed. Politico-Criminal nexus is a reality in India and responsible for much of the crime and corruption. It is shameful that it took 41 years to prosecute one,and the other was moved to the jail of another state, to delay his prosecution, where his political patrons were in power.
Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind says the Bible, so also, the politicians appease now, and the nation pays the morning after.
(Prof. H C Pande is Vice Chancellor Emeritus , BITS, Mesra)
