Public, police bhai-bhai

The Central Government, with the help of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, organised a week-long seminar beginning last Monday on various social issues for 24 Indian Police Services officers from all over India, to dispel incorrect notions about the police and bring them closer to the public.
But what exactly does the course do to make a difference in the functioning of the force? Says Dr D R Singh, head of TISS'' Criminology Department, "Officers with more than six years of service have been chosen to attend the seminar, and they''ll be given a theoretical exposure to the field they are working in."
The seminar addresses topics like drug addiction, women''s issues and intervention, terrorism, students, corruption, commercial sex workers, labour management problems, human rights, backward classes and media.The meet gives the officers the opportunity to interact with experts on these subjects.
On the first day, issues of labour management, backward classes and corruption were covered. Issues were posed by professionals from their respective fields and members of different departments of TISS, followed by discussions and their solutions.
Singh, who''s been with TISS for 21 years, says, "It also gave us a chance to present the data we have collected from the studies that the institute has conducted over the years."
Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sunil Vaidya represented Mumbai. He says, "It was a vertical interaction with IPS officers from different states. It gave the seniors a chance to share their experiences with the younger officers. TISS had an expert on labour management defining the importance of the role of the police in maintaining peace. They quoted a case in Thane, where there was a 42-day strike, without a single incidence of violence because of police presence. Basically, it was an exercise in experience sharing for the benefit of the young officers who often have difficulties because of lack of experience."
Representatives of labour unions too presented their side of the story. "What they feel is that the police are on the side of the management during a strike. But the fact remains that the police are only concerned about the law and order situation. Maintaining peace at that point is their main objective. This is one way of dispelling their bias," says Singh.
The public''s protest against the police for communal bias during the Mumbai and Gujarat riots was also discussed. "We discovered that the police are trying their best to control the situation. But the demands of the public are not met because the police are not responsive enough to the needs of the people. The officers also informed us about the problems like political interference. These are the hurdles which prohibit them from functioning according to the expectations of the public," says Singh.
The main aim of the seminar is to sensitise the lower ranks in police force, ethically and socially, so that the conflict between the police and the public remains at a manageable level.