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Police should win people’s trust: Manmohan

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday asked police personnel to avoid stereotypes that might wittingly, or unwittingly, enlarge the fault lines in the society. “As the most visible symbol of our pluralistic democracy and national identity, you must create an image of the police as a fair and impartial entity. You will come under attack from those sections of society who are determined to undermine India’s liberal ethos, but this challenge has to be met and met effectively,” he told the country’s top police officials at a conference here on terrorism.

Dr. Singh also referred to the challenge before the police in restoring the faith of the people, especially those belonging to religious and ethnic minorities and the weaker sections. Though most of the aspersions cast on the police could be motivated, the police must face up to the reality that many were convinced that the police were less than fair, though policemen die in the line of duty. Dr. Singh stressed that the police needed to win the trust of civil society as they work with, and amongst people and also need their support and help. “Above all, you must carry conviction to one and all about your impartiality and honesty of purpose. This is fundamental if the police have to succeed in a functional democracy.”

Warning that “time is not on our side,” the Prime Minister cautioned that the state could not afford a repetition of the kind of terrorist attacks that had recently taken place in Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat and Guwahati. “Every time a terrorist attack takes place there is a public outcry over the failure of the government, accompanied by criticism of the police and the intelligence agencies. I am aware that many terrorist attacks have been prevented, thanks to the vigil of the police and intelligence agencies, but a single incident of reasonable magnitude causes repercussions, and calls into question the capability and capacity of the government and its various agencies.”

As the globalisation of terror had made terrorism an all “encompassing danger,” the security agencies must acknowledge that the scale of such terrorist incidents would grow in the future and become a major test of the country’s capabilities.

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