Aug 31, 2008
Appearances can be deceptive and it is certainly true in case of Ms Bharati G, Sub Inspector of police, posted at Moodbidri police station just a month ago. Behind the calm and composed demeanor one can find the tough, dynamic, brave and no-nonsense cop who has already made her presence felt through her dynamism and hard work within a short period of her assuming office at the station.
Though young and fresh to the job Bharati possesses the vitality, the courage and also the conviction the job demands in ample measure. There is also splash of humaneness in her approach towards issues and individuals which no doubt has endeared her to the public. Having worked in various stations of the district in the last 2 ½ years of her probation, she is now put under independent charge of Moodbidri station which has giving her ample opportunities to go about setting things right in the e interest of the general public.
“Firm decision is a must when it comes to the tasks ahead of us be it in police or any other department. Put the things in proper perspective and analyze the field and one can surely have job involvement and job satisfaction”, she explains.
And that is what she has been doing in Moodbidri. Maintaining law and order and streamlining the traffic is her present priority. The national highway which is always congested due to unauthorized and haphazard parking is now slowly getting organized. Her department has first concentrated on providing proper parking facility and has put a strict vigil on all those unauthorized parking thus easing the traffic movement in this busy road. “Implementation is a continuous process and we have just made a beginning” she says about the steps she has taken to set things right.
Uniforms to drivers of autos and buses are a must. Possession of vehicle documents to public, private and tourist vehicles and buses is a must. Even as I was talking to her a constable came with the complaint of unauthorized parking where the driver had failed to produce documents. She ordered the seizure of the vehicle and the culprit to be brought to her. This has come from a lady police who first stepped into the police station when police verification was needed after she was selected to the post of Sub Inspector.
Born in Biroor Hobli, in Chickmagalur district Bharati had no particular interest to join the police force. Her only focus was to get a job and by quirk of fate she joined the police force after her BA and M Ed. She belongs to the 2005 batch of recruits and now is happy that she has made the right decision and is enjoying her stint in the police department. As is the case with many, she too harbored filmy notions of how the police department works. “Usually our concept of the police department is different when we are outside. But once we are into the system, it all depends on how we perceive it”, she asserts.
The two and half years of probationary training working in Mangalore Rural, Surathkal and SP’s office in Mangalore provided her the necessary exposure, which played a pivotal role in shaping her attitude and her confidence. She is in awe of her officials who molded her during her probationary period, which she says, prepared her better to face the tough challenges ahead. She learnt the basic nuisances of dealing with people. “This training has taught me that if we suspect a person we should not come to a judgment. There should be in-depth verification before making a judgment on a suspect so as to avoid implicating the wrong person”, she avers.
That it is a male dominated world is least in her mind when she is focused in her work. “The first thing I have done is to remove that perception from my mind. If the thought is not there in the mind nothing can stop women from going about their work. We work in co-ordination without any discrimination”, is her firm response on whether she finds it difficult to work in a male dominated society. Working with that attitude in a department with 30 staff out of which only 2 are women, will unquestionably be difficult.
The tough lady is not a bit scared of handling communal riots. The secret of her success is that she keeps aside all gossip mongers and talks to the people rather then telling her on decision. “Police should listen to the people and try to understand what is happening and people will react positively”, she asserts. She says people should take a pro-active role in dampening the riots plaguing this district. A few people should come forward to take the leadership and create awareness among people asking them not to heed to rumour mongers. Then Dakshina Kannada will emerge as the most peaceful district in the country”, she points out.
But her role is not limited just to handling law and order or riots. Property disputes in Moodbidri have become commonplace, which very often calls for police intervention or might result in law & order problem. Many a time the police are doing the job of counseling to the warring parties and convince them the righteousness of compromise including advice for youngsters not to neglect their ageing parents.
She firmly brushes aside any rumours surrounding her transfer by the present government, to make way for their own person to the post of Sub Inspector at the station at the instance of some powerful local politician. Though she says rumour mills are working overtime spreading canards one cannot simply deny that there is an element of truth in it.
The locals have certainly found a tough, no-nonsense lady in Ms Bharati. As Bharati puts it “people observe how we work and support us. They also analyze police officials individually”.
The tough cop that she is Bharati certainly has emerged as a role model for our generation next girls who are willing to take the challenges of working in the police department and creating their own alcove. Bharati has set a good precedent for the younger generation by showing that good work and honesty still pays rich rewards. Let us hope at least some of our young blood draws inspiration from Bharati and are willing to test their skills in the police department which can certainly do with more female cops in the decision making capacity.
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