Rajnath inaugurates Police Foundation of India and Police Institute
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday inaugurated the Police Foundation of India and Police Institute, an independent organisation that aims to provide an overall framework for effective policing even while being an advocate for the police services and insulating the service from political interference which cripples the police service from functioning effectively.
Addressing the audience comprising serving and retired police officials and civil servants, the union home minister said the public perception of the police has to change. The sense of fear of the police must be replaced by a sense of confidence.
Pointing to police officers who have taken their duties with responsibility in curbing malfeasance, Singh pointed to his home state of Uttar Pradesh where he was the chief minister and where the police had taken on the task of stopping mass copying which was a norm at one time.
“While law and order is a state subject the union home ministry has to step in when there is a breakdown of the rule of law in the states especially those states where left wing extremism and insurgency and militancy have raised their ugly heads,” Rajnath said, adding that the present climate of intolerance is not conducive to the growth of a country where the word ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) originated.
Earlier, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju said the interface between police and public is no longer civil.
“Police and politicians are punching bags yet we have survived as a nation because we have an efficient system. Unfortunately we all play the game instead of constructively engaging as responsible citizens. Many in our country still revel in the fact that they can break the law with impunity but we also want a good police system in place,” Rijiju said.
Agreeing that India has the largest police- public ratio gap and that this needs to be addressed since India is now a growing economic power and that must be matched by a robust rule of law, Rijiju however stated that the biggest challenge in the country is to change the mindset of the public. “If society is rude the police force too will be rude,” he added.
Referring to the growing cases of rape in the national capital and across the country, Rijiju said the police or the law alone cannot address this because it is a societal problem. People have to work in tandem with the police to address this growing concern.
“As a minister in charge of home affairs, I sometimes fell helpless but I have to put up a brave face. The public perception about the police has to change in order for the police to change,” Rijiju observed.
N. Ramchandran, former Meghalaya DGP and President, Police Foundation, made a PowerPoint presentation on the vision and mission of the Police Foundation of India and Police Institute and sought the cooperation of former colleagues who he said were a “repository of wisdom which must be collated and institutionalized.”
Prakash Singh, Chairperson of both the PFI and PI, welcomed the gathering. Other who spoke on the occasion included G.K. Pillai, former Home Secretary, noted jurist Soli Sorabjee, senior media persons Dilip Padgaonkar and Praveen Swami and Editor, The Shillong Times, Patricia Mukhim, who are all members of the Police Foundation of India and Police Institute.