Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SP)
Udupi, May 5: Retired Karnataka director general of police, Dr Ajai Kumar Singh, blamed disinterestedness on the part of the bureaucracy and lack of political will for the present state of affairs in the police department. He said that these two sections are not interested in improving the police department’s functioning.
He was addressing the participants of a seminar on ‘Reforms in policing systems, and methods’ organized by the department of geopolitics and international relations of Manipal University and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi at Manipal.
Singh admitted that the top brass of the police department too has failed in its objective to bring improvements in the department’s functioning. He revealed that draft proposals for improving the department’s functioning had been prepared, but the proposals never came up for discussions because of lack of political will and bureaucracy.
Retired director general of National Police Academy, Hyderabad, Kamal Kumar, pointed fingers at the non-exertion of pressure by the general public and disinterestedness on the part of politicians for lack of improvement in police department’s efficiency. He attributed non-improvement in the police functioning to reasons like not providing an environment in which the policemen can function without coming under pressure, not giving full powers to the officers to discharge their duties properly, and not providing basic amenities at police stations and other offices. At the same time, he wanted the police personnel to understand that they are not just part of a force, but also meant to serve the people. Giving details of police commissions and Supreme Court directives to bring changes in the police functioning, he lamented that they were not adhered to.
Prof M D Nalpat of geopolitics department of Manipal University wanted people to discard their notion that policemen are their enemies. He felt that when respect for the policemen declines, respect to law and order also diminishes.
Veteran journalist, M V Kamath, retired director general of police, Mumbai, Satish Sahni, and Nawaz Kotwal of Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, New Delhi, also put forth their ideas on the subject.
University registrar, Dr G K Prabhu, was present. Dr Arvind Kumar compered the programme.