Former DGP, UP

Born: 3 June 1947
Birthplace: Kollam district, Kerala

With my birth being almost coterminous with Indian independence, it has been a forward journey together for the country and me all these years. I was born in a remote village in Kerala (then Travancore state). As a child and in my later years, I was electrified with the hopes and aspirations free India held for her citizens. I can still distinctly visualise the pomp and pageantry with which we celebrated Independence Day. Now, when I look back on that after all these years, I have mixed feelings—part fulfilment and part frustration—for both me and the country.

India is unique in many ways. Although hackneyed through overuse, the oft-repeated phrase ‘unity in diversity’ still holds true. But the most important element that deserves adulation is the modern Indian polity, conceived in universal brotherhood and dedicated to the principle of democracy. It is nothing short of a wonder that a vast multitude of humanity, comprising almost one-fifth of the world’s population, mired in abject poverty, ignorance, illiteracy, disease and superstition, adopted for itself a somewhat unfamiliar form of governance, which they have sustained all these years.

Yet, it is not all hunky-dory. There are serious fissures in the edifice of Indian democracy. The professionalisation of politics is the greatest bane of present-day public life. In the past, politics was tantamount to sacrifice in the line of public service. Now, in most states, political power is vested with a few families and has become hereditary.

Although much of my hope was belied in my later years, this country has given me almost everything I wished for—above all, a level playing field in my career. During the early years, I remember how merit was honoured; honesty and integrity were appreciated by the department, general public and politicians too. Now, things have changed. Though I was a rank outsider to the state to which I was allotted (Uttar Pradesh), the government and the people there treated me with utmost regard. As a matter of fact, I think I received preferential treatment at times. That is one of the reasons why I was elevated to the post of Director-General of Police for the state of Uttar Pradesh, despite the fact that there were many senior officers waiting in line.

However, when we draw up the balance sheet for the country after 70 years, the debit far outweighs the credit. We have wasted many opportunities to advance to the front ranks of the world’s nations. Although we have made great strides in science and technology, space exploration, nuclear physics and atomic energy, the average Indian’s quality of life, particularly in rural areas, continues to be pathetic. The areas that need immediate attention are clean drinking water, sanitation, universal literacy, healthcare and human rights. One thing that surprises me is the absence of scientific temperament even among the educated class, even though science is being taught in our schools and colleges for more than 200 years.

It has been a long journey together for this country and I. Great changes have taken place in both our lives. The standard of living of the people of India, including my own, has undergone a sea change. This simple village boy reaped the benefits of the nation’s progress to the fullest extent. I got a decent education and grew up to become a senior civil servant. I have had the good fortune to dedicate the best 36 years of my life to the service of the country and its people.

I have almost come to the end of the road, while the country marches forward. But I see dark clouds on the horizon. Tough challenges await us: terrorism, fissiparous tendencies, professionalisation and criminalisation of politics, corruption in high places, communalism and the rise of religious fundamentalism. Yet, I have faith in the tenacity of the Indian masses and the resilience of the democratic system. If this country could weather many a storm in the past, including countless aggressions, annexations and conquests, and still survive, why should there be any apprehension for the future?

Milestones

1971: Joined the Indian Police Service, allotted UP cadre

1975: Appointed Superintendent of Police

1991: Awarded the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service

1994: Appointed Inspector-General

1997: Awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service

2003: Appointed Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh Police, the largest police force in the world under a single command

Current occupation: Basking in the glow of the silver years

Illustration by Sanjhi Shah
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
August 2016

 
FLAVIA AGNES

AMAL ALLANA

JAHAR DAS

DR PREM SHANKAR GOEL

DR S Y QURAISHI

DR HIMANSHI SHELAT

DR LALJI SINGH

SHUVAPRASANNA

DR L SUBRAMANIAM