This story is from December 6, 2020

‘Talent & dedication decide destination, not physique’

‘Talent & dedication decide destination, not physique’
DIG, Naxal range, Sandip Patil, has two critically-affected districts, Gondia and Gadchiroli, under his charge. The erstwhile SP of Gadchiroli has returned to the daunting posting to take on the armed rebels in eastern Vidarbha, a task left incomplete during his earlier stint in 2014-2016. Though short in stature, this 2006-batch IPS officer thinks big and wide as far as policing is concerned.
A follower of Shivkrupanand Swami foundation, Patil delves deep into meditation to strengthen his inner self. In an interview to TOI, Patil talks about the challenges his job entails.
Excerpts...
Q. How much does size and shape matter in real life?
A. The society’s pre-occupation with well-built and tall personalities reflects in the mindset of the masses. But looking back on history, I would suggest a different reality where we worshipped Shivaji and Dr BR Ambedkar or Sachin Tendulkar as our heroes. None of them had an impressive height or a great physique. Napoleon Bonaparte led a huge army. He was only five feet tall. My height is 167cm and weight 52kg but they could not stop me from reaching where I am today as DIG, Naxal range, entrusted with the responsibility to take on the rebel movement in my state’s two districts. Physique is secondary, talent and dedication make you climb the ladder of success.
Q. How did you cope with your physical attributes as an IPS officer?
A. I am perhaps the shortest and lightest of all IPS officers in the state. It’s common for me to hear 'Asa lahan manus SP kasa asnar? (How can such a short man be an SP?) but such remarks don’t make any difference to me. It’s a reality which I never wanted to escape from and neither should others. My physical structure is linked to my genes. I’m just like my father. It’s neither in my hands nor anyone else’s too and hence it should not be allowed to dent your confidence or motivation levels at any point in life. In school, I was bullied by my seniors. But they stopped after realizing that I was a good help to them in maths and science. People will bow before your qualities if you develop them. In the first meeting, people will judge you on the basis of your looks but later it would be your talent, leadership, skills, abilities and vision which are the intrinsic qualities which would make one acceptable and desirable in the society.

Q. How important is to have a robust physique to become an IPS officer?
A. The common perception and belief in the society is that someone well-built must seek opportunities in the police force or the Army. He or she is perceived as a more competent aspirant. There are certain physical criteria for making it to IPS cadre after crossing the hurdle of the common civil service examination like one should be able to expand one’s chest by five inches and height should be minimum 165cm. One should be able to complete a cross-country race of 16km which I did ahead of the others, ride 5km on horse back and swim 50 metres after jumping from a height of 10 feet. I got a rough and aggressive horse to ride on the test day but I managed it easily. It’s a matter of high intellect combined with mental and physical fitness more than anything else. As an IPS officer, one needs to have good oratory skills and leadership qualities to relay your ideas to the force.
Q. How has your journey as an IPS officer been so far?
A. Apart from IPS (2006 batch), I was also selected for the National Defence Academy. In the initial days, the then director of our academy (National Police Academy, Hyderabad) K Vijaykumar (now chief security adviser in the ministry of home affairs) had started wondering as to how would I complete the training. I assured him that I would not miss a single day of outdoor physical training. Apart from keeping my promise, I also made it to the top three in outdoor activities in that batch of 105 probationers. After joining service, many started doubting my abilities based on my physical attributes, but I was SP in three most challenging districts of Maoist-affected Gadchiroli, Pune rural and the communally-sensitive Parbhani. I had volunteered to go to Gadchiroli as SP. In Gadchiroli, I ensured that the 2014 state assembly elections were conducted successfully despite numerous attempts by Maoists to disrupt the proceedings. I have returned as DIG to fulfil my vision to tackle Maoism with a fresh holistic approach. Till date, I have never opted for sick leave.
Q. What is more important, vision or a great physique?
A. Having a physically fit body is a pre-requisite to become successful in the long run but developing skills, vision, talent and expertise in various spheres are the other criteria which need to be fulfilled. We need to become adept in managing stress too. Apart from physical strength, one needs to nurture mental strengths too and learn the art of adaptation and innovation in every situation in life.
Q. Would you give a thumbs up to bodybuilding or meditation?
A. In Indian philosophy, the stress is on yoga more than body building or meditation. The first four stages of yoga are about physical fitness and the next four are related to mental grooming. The two aspects of physical and mental fitness should be balanced instead of just focusing on one of them and ignoring the other.
Q. Have you ever felt disadvantaged while leading an operation against Maoists?
A. Being light weight has been a great advantage to move around and lead the force in difficult terrains. As an IPS officer, one must have good oratory skills and leadership qualities to lead from the front. While undergoing training, we are groomed for different situations, including the ability to carry heavy rucksacks on the back and run with arms and ammunition too. During any operation, I never felt uncomfortable with my physique. It’s more about tactics to survive and sustain in places like Gadchiroli than muscular strength.
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