The seed for this book was sown the day I had the good fortune to join IIT Delhi. The stark contrast between my rural upbringing in a village in Haryana and the highly competitive environs of one of the best technological institutions in the world, that too in the nation’s capital, vividly brought to light the two opposite directions in which my country was heading. A unique value system grew within me and I wanted to bridge this gap between the haves and the have-nots. A will to bring about visible change that could really help the needy and the poor made me change my direction from engineering to the civil services.
Having accomplished my engineering studies at IIT, I joined the Indian Police Service exuding confidence in ideals that I had come to hold dear. With all the enthusiasm of a debutante, I picked up my pen and started jotting down stray thoughts in a diary during my days as a trainee at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. And once the flood gates of memory were shaken a little, thoughts just flowed through like the impatient waters in a barrage, awaiting an outlet. I reminisced about the days at IIT and after. But these notes would remain just jottings, stray pieces of heartfelt emotions lying less between the dog-eared pages of an old diary and more within the heart of a human being making efforts to do justice to the Khaki that he had donned. As I transformed from an IITian to a cop, public perception underwent a sea change. I have been haunted by this significance attached to labels and tags that we come to associate people with. And therefore, this book.
As I put in more and more years of service in the police force, at various stations, in various capacities, it became quite clear to me that despite all odds, I had been able to touch and make a difference to the lives of several ordinary people - people who had no connections, nor pockets full of cash. They were just ‘people’ – hoping, justifiably, to obtain redress from a system that was ostensibly put in place to serve them.
Incident after incident occurred, and my faith in a people-sensitive approach was reinforced. No doubt, the organs within the system, and its own inertia, raised hurdles at every step, and left me wondering whether the man on the street had any hope of securing justice for himself unless he acquired the two magic potions of our society – money and muscle power.
The system, the so-called ‘iron frame’, could be used as an effective tool to come to the aid of the citizen if there was a will in those who were empowered to make it work. This, in sum, has been my humble effort. Simply put, it is a philosophy of careful listening, understanding the victim's anguish as a fellow human and trying to relieve the pain as directly, with as hands-on an approach, as possible. This is easier said than done. Hence the need to narrate a few incidents to indicate that people-oriented policing is indeed a distinct possibility. The system may be in need of change, but its break down cannot be afforded. In most cases it is not the system per se but the people who run it who are responsible for its failure. If the people vested with power have the courage of conviction and sensitivity, the same system, with minor changes in approach and attitude can be made more effective and responsive to the needs of the people for whom it was created.
This book has appeared now as it strings together anecdotes of tenures at various stations. In the police service, as a fellow officer very aptly put it, “There’s never a dull moment”. Every day brings with it new challenges. These are stories of challenges faced with sensitivity, empathy and passion. Stories that I felt should reach a wider audience just to ensure that the man on the street is not disillusioned.
Through my career as a policeman, I have measured my actions against a common yardstick, inspired no doubt by Mahatma Gandhi’s talisman for all Indians – Will my action be good for society? Will it help the person who is right? Will it bring relief to the victim? Will it deter the wrongdoer?
If a policeman were to seek answers to these basic questions, he is likely to discharge his duties more satisfactorily. It has been my firm belief that the parameters against which a policeman's performance can be measured could be sincerity, honest, integrity, dedication and hard work, but the ultimate benchmark always has to be his effectiveness in helping the poor, the needy and the suppressed.
The aim of this book is to show that the right way to approach P-3 Policing – Positive, Passionate and People-friendly policing, is through basic human qualities – sincerity… honesty… courage… boldness… sensitivity… leadership… approachability and above all, the knack of winning people’s confidence.
And the officer better beware. His decisions, generally arrived at in times of crisis, are likely to have far reaching implications. As the saying goes,
“If a doctor commits a mistake, a person suffers, maybe even dies,
If an engineer commits an error, a few suffer,
If a police officer commits a mistake, entire society gets disheartened.”
