The Problem of the Cops

The Real measure to Check Crimes against Women…

We all know what is happening around us. Around a month-and-a-half back, a brilliant female Physiotherapy student was brutally beaten up, gang-raped, performed unnatural sex upon and left to die, along with a male friend of hers who also was mercilessly beaten up, in New Delhi. The aggravated condition of the girl forced the Doctors to remove her intestines. She fought hard till the end, but ultimately lost her life’s battle. This led to massive protests across the nation, particularly by the youth, on the streets student and historical landmarks to end the discrimination and the rising crimes against Women all across the country.

Bowing to the public pressure, the Govt. was forced to initiate quick and tough responses to better the security and safety of women in public areas. A number of measures were suggested by the Experts, Journalists, Judges, Citizens and everyone else to check crimes against women, which have been on the increase for quite some time now. Everyone suggested measures, and the pressurized Govt. still tries to do everything to show that it is working on each and every such solution.

But the ONLY positive that has emerged from this, so far, has been the rise of the youth sentiment, awareness and activism in getting the bureaucracy to start some actions. It has not been a long time, only a-month-and-a-half since the hated criminal incident took place, which is very less considering the time the govt. takes in starting  new things, but the only good thing that looks to emerge from this all, is the rise in awareness of the people. This is something, that is never quite enough when you need to effectively tackle crimes of such magnitude.

From the point of view of laws, In the past also there have been many laws that cover the safety of women in public areas and homes. But what good has come of these laws alone? Are laws simply enough to check crimes or violations in any criminal case? Are suggestions and sentiments simply enough in making our streets, our roads, our homes safer?

NO!!

These laws have to be backed by good actions, by adequate measures, to stop any crimes, violations ad offenses. No laws alone are simply enough to stop illegal acts, but LAWS BACKED BY ACTIONS make our environments better places to live in. 

Of course we need good laws, but what good are good laws if they are not enacted well?

This puts the focus on those who enacts the laws. This puts the focus on the protectors of the citizens- The Police.

The Police enacts all laws and protects the citizens from dangerous activities. The Police protects the laws and sees to it that laws are not broken. The Police stops misguided people from breaking these laws and arrests those who do, to initiate regret and reform. No law can be enacted if the Police doesn’t catch culprits or if the police doesn’t ensure adequate discipline to solve any case. India has a strong system of laws, but still it lags behind in providing safety, security and freedom to its citizens. This can only be attributed to the weak enactment of these laws by the Police.

The police in India are a bit of an opposite of the heroes or protectors we suppose them to be. Majority of the people of India are hesitant to approach the police in case of any inconvenience. One may ask anyone if s/he is suspicious of the police, and the answer would say “Yes”. The policemen in India are the ones with the largest tummies and are completely unfit in all physical areas than even the most malnourished poor in India. The police are known to e the most corrupt, and most notorious in their handling of all their duties. Rape cases are treated in a very insensitive way by the police. The victim is often harassed, pushed to bury differences and even made to suffer, in place of the aggressor. In Many other cases, the police are the real villains, lathi-charging peaceful protesters, turning down aggravated citizens and their appeals of justice, and at times even abating or themselves committing crimes against the citizens.

At some occasions, the foot-soldiers of the police are not at faults. They are caught because of the self-focused bureaucracy of the country, made up of people who will do anything to preserve their power, that power that has corrupted them. They order repressals of the citizens, they do not ensure better weapons and arsenal for the policemen for the latter to effectively fight crime, and they do not ensure sufficient compensation to the policemen to have a peaceful lives, which are necessary to fight crimes. Needless to say, with such dismal facilities, their investigative competencies and India’s security conditions are worse than even the lowest standards set by other developing countries. 

All crimes can be stopped if the Police acts on time. All illegal activities can be nipped in the nipped in the butt if the police acts efficiently and diligently and stops all illegal activities from happening. The biggest and the most important measure to check crimes against women, and crimes against children, and crimes against men is to manage the police force effectively.

Only a disciplined and efficient Police force can ensure the safety and security of all citizens. The developed countries like the U.S. and the U.K. are able to ensure the safety of cities because they have an efficient police force.

Greater accountability is a good step to motivate the police forces to work better. Harsher punishments to the police personnel under whose area the crimes take place and (as suggested by the Justice Verma Committee on Crimes against Women in 2013) the prosecution of the superior in case of a crime done by a sub-ordinate are some of the steps that can help in increasing the effectiveness of the police.       

Let us only hope that the police force and all of us quickly realise this and work towards making the country safer, more secure and more friendly for every one of us.

The world's richest, just got richer!!

India, better known as the home to the world's richest cricketers and cricket administrators, is nw also going to be known as the place that houses the world's richest MPs.
In an expected move in the parliament on the weekend, the Lok Sabha passed a bill which increses the salaries of an MP nearly 300%!! This decision had to be taken bacause some MPs (names not taken) caused disruptions in the Parliament,by organising a mock parliament session in protest. Also, this came after there had been a 200% incrase in their original salaries earlier in the week. Huh!!
Increasing the salary of an MP is hardly justifie at a time when most governments are withdrawng perks and incentives to the leaders to cut bak on additional costs. Agreed that India is much better off than other economies, a rising superpower, but still, increasing someone's salary nearly 300% holds only a little sense, if any.
First, let me tell you why Indian MPs don't NEED an increment in their salary an the situation after this increment.
Nearly 60% of the Mps who were seated in the Lok Sabha who passed the bill have declared their assets of more than a crore, and since we all are familiar with the honesty of most our MPs, we can safely say that this figure could be much higher. The average asset holding of an MP in the Lok Sabha is around 5.33 crores, which means that on an average, every MP is now a Crorepati. Also, our MPs avail other free services as well, like free transportation and residence, free electricity and water, total taxation exemptions, and other facilities. Clearly, they are in no NEED of more money.
After the bill, at over 37 lakhs a year now, our MPs raw more money than their counterparts in highly developed economies including Singapore, Japan and Italy. Their pay is nearly 68 times the pay of an Average Indian (Annual), which is the highest around the world, higher than that of even the US, which stands at just 27 times!!
All this comes in a country where nearly 50% of the total population sleeps without having one square meal a day, and do not have access to even the most basic facilities.
But I won't really curse the MPs for demanding more pay. After all, if any other person amongst us could get an increment, will we evr leave the chance? I don't think so.
That is where the problem lies, in the constitution. It is baseles and extremely foolish to give the MPs the power to increase their own salary. Imagine we people being given the same power, to decide our salary, and then see how much of the money is left. Just like we don't get to choose our salary, it should be the ame for any MP or MLA, or whatever post he/she holds. This authority should lie with another powerful anuthority like the Supreme Court, or maybe the President, but certainly not the Parliament.
Also, one shouldn't let disruption and protests influence Govt. decisions and laws made in the country. I any MP or MLA does not support the happenings in the Parliament, he or she is free to leave his/her post, or simply choose not to participate in the session. Moreover, just like we have fines and restrictions on mis-using Govt property and facilities, the same should be impoed on the MPs as well. A time when the Supreme Court orders a guilty MP to do some community service, or pay a hefty fine, such diruptions should top, which otherwise, are turning the Parliament, into something worse than a fish market.
The last funny thing which I observed in the sessions was that the opposition was recently creating quite a furure in the parliament, by putting up difficult topics like Inflation and price rise, but hey wre either very quiet or were instrumental in passing a bill that puts tremendous pressure on the Fiscal Deficit, of the govt. This latest bill will only cause the prices to rise further in the market, which means that there raising voice against the same has been undone by they themselves.
But then, I don't think anybody other than perhaps our Mr. P. Chidambaram, or a certain Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, or even our PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, i.e. the educated and civilised class of our Parliament, must have noticed, but said nothing about...