PROFESSIONAL PRIDE OF THE POLICE

The basic needs of police and policing are professional pride and a good
image. The police force capable of doing its duties is carrying out its
responsibilities with devotion and self-sacrifice. But it needs its sacrifices and
devotion to work to be appreciated. A good image entails public cooperation
and enhances the social recognition of the police personnel. Pride and a high
morale are necessary in manpower-oriented organisations like the police,
particularly those that have to deal with the public from a position of strength.
Police personnel shamed and humiliated in their career can never face the public
and do good policing.
The tragedy lies in police administration. Its vanity belittles the police,
breaches its pride, shatters its self-image and destroys its good public image by
unscrupulous and selfish interferences in police affairs. Suspensions and
disciplinary action are a common phenomenon in the Indian Police. When no
grounds are available for disciplinary proceedings, they resort to unfair and
indecent measures like withdrawing vehicles, telephones and other facilities,
denying promotions, transfer to humiliating jobs created for meeting such
eventualities, keeping on prolonged compulsory waiting without a job etc. These
humiliations weaken their position before the public as well as subordinates
whom they are supposed to control and guide with the strength of their
leadership qualities.
ARROGANCE OF POWER
A factor responsible for maladministration becoming the abracadabra of
police administration is arrogance of power. The police are the real power, the
crux of the state power. The police administrators weild power on the enforcers
of the state power. Power breeds arrogance, ultimate power, ultimate arrogance.
The sweep of arrogance is so strong that it has no patience for rules, laws, codes
of conduct, moral values, natural courtesies and human dignities. The only goal
of the police administration in the ambience of arrogance is proving its
invincibility as tout prix.
A serious lapse of police administration in India is its presumed virtue of
indifference to other’s predicaments. The compulsions of being led deprive

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government officials the great human gifts like freedom of thought, originality
and creativity and drain off feelings and sensibilities. The humble situation is
spawned for government officials by themselves by their zeal to conform.
This is the position in which the police administration finds itself. The need
of making virtue out of irresponsiveness leads to mendacity and dishonesty.
Normal human courtesies are unknown there. Evasion is the stock reply for
queries. Vanity is the hallmark. Approach to all except higher-ups is always
brusque and stroppy. Normal man-to-man interaction is impossible unless one
is capable of gratifying. Public relations is an unknown concept, McGregor’s
need hierarchy and such management, concepts are nonexistent in their
vocabulary and thoughts.
A CUSHY JOB
The police administration provides a good cover to meet long cherished
desires and is therefore considered a cushy job. A police administrator like the
Home Secretary of a state can avail for himself from the police organisation all
benefits inherent to the police job like the best available transport and
communication facilities and orderly services at will. The police network
throughout the country would be at his personal service wherever and in
whatever way he desired it. This is an invaluable asset, for him and his kith and
kin. In the name of various studies concerning the police, he can visit foreign
countries at his will and convenience at government expenditure.
The prevarications of the police administration from the right path in most
cases are not even to achieve right professional ends. They mostly are pure and
simple means to self-grandiosity and personal gains. Show them elements of
personal grists. Files move fast. Discussions and meetings are held day and night.
Decisions are taken overnight. Procedures are cut-short to ease the process.
Ordinary situation turns to an emergence. Administration becomes a hub of
incessant activity. Lots of energy and thought go to the process of administration.
The result is that work is done irrespective of the relevance and importance of
the work while more pressing and vital, but less remunerative works rot in files
for years.
Selection and recruitment of men in the age of unemployment and purchase
of heavy vehicles in the ambience of commissions play a pivotal role in the
administration of police and related safety-oriented organisations like the fire
force. Recruiting men in thousands and purchase of scores of heavy vehicles at
a single go in the name of expansion of an organisation involves subterranean
change of hands of crores of rupees in a short span of time. It is a dizzy amount
to be pocketed.

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Decisions were taken by the administration for expansion of the organisation

with fresh recruitment of thousands of men and sub-officers and purchase of
scores of heavy vehicles. A police officer in a sensitive juncture of his career that
could be compromised was put in charge of the organisation and the selection
and purchase processes. The setup worked out by the Home Secretary worked
to his satisfaction. The result was that the police officer in charge was rewarded
by quick and easy promotions. The organisation concerned saw rapid expansion.
Thousands of unemployed youths got jobs. Manufactures of heavy vehicles got
business. And the Home Secretary got what he wanted. Thus all are happy and
contented. This is how administration works in India.
Most ills of the present Indian police emerge from the malaise of the morbid
handling of the police administration at different levels. Be is in handling of the
body and shape of the organisation and its functions of managing the spirit and
the soul of the force, the police administration can play a major role either in
building or marring the prospects of raising a healthy police outfit for the
country. As of today, police administration failed the country and its police by
indifference on the one hand and crass handling of the organisation and its affairs
on the other. The only solution to this serious malady lies in rebuilding the police
administration with people of character, integrity, devotion, efficiency, ability
and above all, deep insight to human nature and its problems.

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