by Police - Bureau of Police Research and Development

Let Us First ReformOurselves(PART-I)R.C. Mohanty, IPS*KeywordsReform, Police Reform, New Police Commission, Democratic Police, Common Policy,Model Indian Police Act, Police Act, 1861, Colonial System.AbstractThe sincerity of the political leaders ruling the country in implementing policereforms is comparable to their sincerity in unearthing black money stashedin foreign banks: go on making endless speeches and do nothing. After adecade of Government inaction in implementing the recommendations ofthe NPC, two desperate retired DsGP sought salvation through the SupremeCourt way. This was hardly a matter for the Court to decide, but the Courthad of late assumed a new role of making up for the inadequacies of theExecutive in the guise of PIL as it has been already doing for the Legislature.One wonders what the proactive Court was doing during the Emergency touphold the Rule of Law - holding that even citizen’s Right to Life remainssuspended during Emergency! The bureaucracy and the police “knelt” whenasked only to “bend” as they had no statutory protection, but why did theJudiciary, with all its independence intact and with the mighty ContemptLaw in force, choose to go down on its knees?THERE has been a clamour for police reforms in our country sinceIndependence, or perhaps earlier. During the long course of ournon-violent movement for freedom, the leaders constantly facedviolent suppression of their peaceful agitation at the hands of the BritishIndian Police. In one such incident, a national leader of the stature ofLala Lajpat Rai was brutally beaten up, causing his death. I am notmaking mention of Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a genocide comparableto Hitler’s burning of the Jews in the gas chamber, as it was a BritishAuthor Intro. :* Ex-DGP, Orissa and Ex-Member, Orissa Public Service Commission.4 January - March, 2013