Relationship between Public and Police

By Leichombam Kullajit *

Everything is unpredictable and at the same time is predictable in Manipur. Over the years, Manipur Police has been known for its callous attitude, torture, crime, extortion and recently carjacking.

It is the only police force I have ever come across in any state of the country who really do not know how to behave and conduct to a civilian or a citizen in a democratic country. Worse to it, it is one of the most "unofficial" corrupt departments under the government of Manipur.

There would be many arguments and grounds behind their aggressiveness, yet the view of the public cannot go unnoticed, which police can't refute at the same time. Until a few years ago, Manipur Police was good enough in connecting the people.

It even organised seminars on Police-Public relationship, which I happened to participate in one such seminar at 1st Bn Manipur Rifles Hall as a reporter.

However, for the last three/four years it has started showing its true colour, its damned hateful and odious activities, threatening civilians, killing civilians randomly by giving wrong information, unnecessary detaining public, and uncountable numbers of fake encounter cases against them.

What is more surprising is the fact that it doesn't have a motto - how to serve the public. Being in the profession for over half a decade, there appears some peculiar perception or says a myth about their works among the journalists' fraternity in the state.

Sometimes they feel powers, they have authorities and finally they can do anything, which is in otherwise not really correct in true sense. They are of course one of the most hard workers with lesser pay in such a remote and difficult environments.

But what I found intrigue in most of the reporting of crimes or related stories is that they do not necessarily take comments from the police. Most of the ideas or storytelling seemed to be either from eyewitnesses or reliable sources.

But one thing must be sure that police also are not ready to disclose whenever there is a crime takes place citing security reasons. They used to give information who they think closed to them.

They do not have a dedicated spokesperson who will normally give up-to-date developments. What is more surprising is the fact that in spite of the most crime prone state and occurs day and night, they tend to ignore it and show more interested in holding essay competition, mathematic, science competition and so on.

Check it out in their website: www. manipurpolice.org. for more details.

For that matter, Manipur Police is far behind and need to learn a lot from their counterparts like Delhi Police who has regularly updated their development and how they give information to general public.

On the other hand Manipur Police has always tried to conceal whatever happened in the state. What's harm in giving information? Manipur Police needs to answer for this.

This could be one of the reasons why journalists in Manipur tend to avoid police version in their reporting and why the recent stalemate between even the highest authority of Manipur Police with senior most journalists in the State being occurred.

What is worrying is that at a time when crimes reach its zenith and relationship between Police and Media touching a new low, it is the public only who will suffer at the end of the day.

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