Much has been made of the appointment of Idashisha Nongrang as the Director General Police (DGP), in ‘matrilineal Meghalaya’ as some mainstream media has termed it. The fact is that Nongrang, a 1992 batch Indian Police Service officer has reached the top post through sheer merit. She has vast experience of policing in Meghalaya and has been an operations person during those ugly days when militancy had raised it’s ugly head in the state. She has also served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) thereby giving her a rounded view of intelligence and operations both. Nongrang shunned the limelight in all her postings but worked diligently and discharged her duties without fear or favour. Her colleagues and former seniors in the IB speak highly of her professional approach to policing which is what is highly recommended in this profession.
The other candidates proposed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) are RP Meena of the 1993 batch and Deepak Kumar, 1994 batch, both of whom are junior to Nongrang in terms of service. In fact Nongrang had a brief stint as acting DGP in 2021. She has been in charge of Civil Defence and Home Guards since 2021 till date. Much has been made of the fact that Idashisha Nongrang is a tribal and a woman – the first woman DGP in Meghalaya. Not much is spoken of the fact that she has earned this position and is the DGP today not because she is a tribal and a woman but because she is a senior IPS officer who has earned her spurs. She has not been catapulted to the top post because politicians and political parties have been pushing for her appointment. In fact, observers have said that it is in bad taste for politicians and political parties to be rooting for any candidate for the post of the top cop in the state. In all fairness, Ms Nongrang should feel confident that, based on her merit and performance she will continue to discharge her duties without fear or favour and without needing to be patronised by any political party merely because she is a Khasi tribal and a woman.
It is common to make it appear that a woman making it to any top post does so because of her gender and in this case because she is a ‘tribal.’ These are unflattering attributes that downplay the capability of the person which is tried and tested and her overall performance which is what matters. In the police force gender is of the least concern but performance and track records are what matter and it is Ms Nongrang’s professionalism that should be highlighted; not her gender and community.
