T. R Kalra
The J&K state not only enjoys a special constitutional status amongst the states of the Indian union, but has its own special and distinct problems as well, which are unique to itself. No other state has its borders with actively hostile neighbours as J&K. No other state has suffered so many external aggressions from its neighbours as J&K. And no other state has suffered so much internal turmoil and sabotage, day in and day out to neighbourly state’s – armed and unarmed intervention. It is the J&K Police, which faced in the past and still continues to face the consequences of this external onslaught of the enemy as the frontline force.
To add to this situation is the complexity of its geographic and demographic makeup. It’s four regions of Ladakh, Rajouri and Poonch, Kashmir and Jammu are distinct and each has its special identity and complexity. A development or a situation in one region does not affect the people of other regions as much as it does the originally concerned regions. The state is not a homogeneous unit. It is first bound together by geography and was brought into being by means of conquest.
For the past over twenty years we are facing the problem of armed militancy sponsored by Pakistan and it’s ISI. Though there is a thaw at present in the situation, yet the problem is not completely over. The training camps of militants across the border are still intact. The situation in Pakistan is not stable. Any major setback in the situation in Afghanistan and Waziristan will have direct impact on us. Situation on the militancy front can revert any time. We need to continue our vigil keeping our forces at the designated places. It is no time to make experiments and to harness new horses to run an unchartered course.
The present DGP Shri Kuldeep Khoda, is retiring after his successful and glorious innings and his successor is clearly visible even to a blind eye. Where is the ground for doubt and speculation unless the idea is to slacken the vigil against militancy, to demoralise the police force, to heap humiliation upon it’s glorious records of the past two decades of fighting militancy and to mock the supreme sacrifices of its thousands of brave jawans and officers in the service of the motherland. Why a public debate about a new DGP has started ? Is it a conspiracy, a mischief or a sabotage against the J&K Police and as a consequence against the J&K State or all the three combined ?
Normally, when a vacancy occurs, the senior most officer in the seniority list is considered and if found fit from all angles is promoted. If due to some reasons he fails short of the requirements of the job, only then – only then, the next officer on the list is considered. Or when number two in the seniority list far outweighs in merit than the officer at number one of the list and is found more suitable for the job, then only number two is considered, not otherwise. It is not the requirement of rules that if there are more than one officer of the same year of allotment then all of them will be considered for promotion simultaneously. There is law of progeniture in services. Every officer is considered for promotion in his own turn. There is no point in making water muddy by clubbing two officers with the same year of allotment together for consideration, however competent number two officer may be.
I was the first IPS officer to be allotted to the state of J&K on the basis of all India competition in 1962. During these over fifty years of association with the J&K Police, I have observed the working of many a deputationist, IGPs and DGPs and have found this experience as disastrous (with the sole exception of one deputationist who was with us only for two years). It is primarily because the deputationists do not thoroughly know the topography of the state, it’s regions, history and culture of its distinct four regions, their affiliations and mindset, the complexities in administering the state, the composition of the police force and its ethos, nature and composition of its bureaucracy, politicians, Army and Air Force top brass and many a paramilitary Force.
If one has served the state for intelligence gathering, then he has acquired knowledge about the state only from that angle, and if one has served the state only to maintain public order then he has understood the state from that angle alone (It is no reflection on the competence of the officers reportedly mentioned in the MHA panel proposed for the post of DGP, as I do not know the gentleman).
Policing as a whole is a very big and complex affair. It touches almost all aspects of human society. Knowledge of one or two functions of policing is not enough, however, vital these functions might be.
In order to qualify as Police Chief, one must first qualify as possessor of the knowledge of the state, its history and culture, its regions and religions, its police, government and politics. Mere superficial knowledge won’t do. A thorough knowledge can be obtained if one has lived and breathed the air of the state for years and years and if one has rubbed shoulders with its toiling masses and the rank and file of its police force and if one has lead his men in crisis and during enemy onslaught. These qualities give him a special place and regard in the hearts of his men making him worthy of leading them as their chief. Importing officers and superimposing them on the existing system won’t work. It might even reverse the momentum painstakingly achieved against militancy by years of hard work and sacrifice.
I have also read in the newspapers that senior most officers of the state cadre, being of 1984 batch, do not qualify to be DGPs, as they have not completed thirty years of service. It is humbug. The state government is well within in competence to take a decision on the appointment of the new DGP. Here also seems to be a hand of mischief or conspiracy at work. For the past more than half a century since I have been associated with the J&K Police none of the IGPs and DGPs who were selected for the post had completed thirty years of service at the time of their selection. The following table will expose this argument also. Since the extension of IPS to the state, the following officers have been selected to serve as IGPs and DGPs;
Bedi was succeeded by our own very competent cadre officers like M N Sabarwal, A K Suri, Gopal Sharma and a deputationist Gurbachan Jagat (1966) till Kuldeep Khoda. None of these officers had completed thirty years of service at the time of their selection as their DGP. Raising this point now against the 1984 batch officers is nothing short of mischief.
Deputationists, since they work under various handicaps try to create their own lobby of officers who are loyal to them. These officers are rewarded for their loyalty. Sometimes juniors are promoted over the head of their more deserving seniors creating dissentions and bad blood, dividing the force in camps. Chain of command is disturbed and sycophancy becomes the norm. Deputationists in order to consolidate their own position create their lobbies in the secretariat and in Delhi, amongst politicians and press men to the determent of cohesion and camaraderie in the force. Being men of the centre they often look more towards the centre.
IPS cadre of J&K state has come off age. It has given many distinguished and highly competent IGPs/DGPs to the state. Why should it be ignored now ? when highly competent, trained and tested officers are available to head the force. Why should we look elsewhere for commanders. There is no point in making a tamasha or circus of it at all. The chief of the police is not a ring master. His selection is a quiet, governmental exercise and it should be done in a quiet and dignified manner. The public debate which is raging in the press and other forums should cease forthwith.
(The author is J&K’s first IPS Officer and a former DGP)
S. NAME YEAR OF YEAR OF TOTAL
No. ALLOT- ALLEVATION YEARS PUT
MENT AND RELINQU- IN AT THE
ISHMENT OF TIME OF
THE POST OF SELECTION
IGP/DGP AS IGPs/DGPs
1 Sh. L D Thakur 1949 1963-66 14 Years
2 Sh. E S Morak 1939 1966-67 27 Years
3 Sh. Surinder Nath 1950 1968-74 18 Years
4 Sh. P A Rosha 1948 1974-77 26 Years
5 Sh. D N Kaul 1950 1977-79 27 Years
6 Sh. Peer Gulam 1959 1/2 1979-85 19 1/2 Years
Hassan Shah
7 Sh. M M Khajooria 1961 1/2 1985-86 23 1/2 Years
8 Sh. F T R Colaso 1961 1986-86 25 Years
9 Sh. G J Pandit 1962 1986-87 24 Years
10 Sh. J N Saxena 1960 1987-89 27 Years
11 Sh. B S Bedi 1961 1990-93 29 Years
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