This story is from November 6, 2019

Delhi: Disconnect with police brass behind the anger on streets

As a law enforcement force, Delhi Police never had to take to the streets even in extreme situations. Tuesday’s protest, therefore, will go down as a never-before experience in the annals of the capital’s police.
Delhi: Disconnect with police brass behind the anger on streets
Protesters outside police headquarters in Delhi on November 5
Key Highlights
  • Several officers told TOI of a disconnect between the force on the ground and the police chief for some time now
  • A policy of appeasing others has left the lower constabulary outraged, a serving IPS officer said
  • A former police chief said Tuesday’s unprecedented protest was a reflection of poor leadership
NEW DELHI: As a law enforcement force, Delhi Police never had to take to the streets even in extreme situations. Tuesday’s protest, therefore, will go down as a never-before experience in the annals of the capital’s police.
The genesis of the protest lies in several incidents that have left the lower constabulary simmering over time. According to policemen, the demonstration wasn’t simply a response of the ‘unfair treatment’ in the aftermath of last Saturday’s fracas at the Tis Hazari courts.
“There’s a pattern in the last two years of the police brass standing down in matters that required them to show a spine. A policy of appeasing others has left the lower constabulary outraged,” a serving IPS officer said.

Last October, a group of advocates clashed with policemen in Shahdara in east Delhi. They manhandled and roughed up the cops, including splashing a glass of water on a young cop’s face. “Forget coercive action, we received instructions from the top not to file any FIR or engage further with the lawyers. We were asked to stand down,” a senior cop recalled.

Even at Tis Hazari, a woman DCP was deterred from registering an FIR despite being manhandled. She was spotted teary-eyed by colleagues after the clash.
Several officers told TOI of a disconnect between the force on the ground and the police commissioner for some time now. They also linked this with the crime situation in the city, with the policemen on the ground not paying attention to the chief’s repeated orders regarding crime control.

A former police commissioner, who did not wish to be named, said Tuesday’s unprecedented protest was a reflection of poor leadership. “It is most unfortunate that the police had to come out on the street and that too in uniform. But what we need to think is why they took to the streets,” he said.
He added, “The police leadership did not oppose the court order asking for two police officers to be transferred and two ASI suspended after Tis Hazari. In fact, this was quickly carried out. Also, since the police leadership was missing in action, the staff was bound to feel disgruntled because they are the ones who faced the brunt, got thrashed and then were suspended.”
B K Gupta, former commissioner, said “I feel a lot can be resolved if the connect between the junior and senior officers are re-established. There has to be a regular interaction between the seniors and juniors on a personal level so that the concerns on both sides can be addressed. Otherwise, the disconnect gradually builds up into something like this." Ironically, during Gupta’s tenure, the junior constabulary had suffered for cracking down on Baba Ramdev’s rally at Ramlila Maidan in 2011.
author
About the Author
Raj Shekhar

Raj Shekhar Jha is an assistant editor with The Times of India, Delhi. He has been writing on internal security and crime for TOI since 2011.

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