Draining a pond in search of a grenade : Posers on police modernisation
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: January 31, 2015 -
Wonder what the big talk about police modernisation was all about.
Or was it only about lung power with nothing to show at the ground reality ?
All noise with no substance is what will sum up the performance of the State Government.
Maintaining law and order is not merely about raising slogans. A point which should have seeped into the consciousness of the people who wield the baton of responsibility.
It was on January 28 that the State police flexed its muscles and demonstrated how keen and attentive they are.
An ever vigilant team of police commandos witnessed an underground cadre handing over two hand grenades to two youths who came riding a two wheeler.
The vigilant cops gave chase and after a while, managed to over power the two youths.
It was then it came to light to the cops that the hand grenades had been thrown into a roadside pond.
What did the cops do then ?
First order the two youths to get into the pond and conduct a search for the missing explosives.
One of the grenades was recovered but the other was still missing.
It was then that the bright policemen decided to rope in the service of the Fire Brigade and drain out all the water from the pond.
A good task it seemed for this exercise led to the recovery of the second hand grenade.
A potential mishap was thus averted.
However a closer scrutiny should be clear that it absolutely made no sense to drain out the water.
A simple use of technology would have sufficed in tracing the grenade thrown into the pond.
What has happened to all the police modernisation drive ?
That this can happen in an age when the world is talking about satellite mapping and when resources from the earth can be traced and extracted without much ado, here Manipur still has to depend on such an out dated method of tracing a grenade thrown into a pond by draining out all the water.
Over and above this, it should be kept in mind that draining out the water from the pond meant inconveniencing the passers by.
What is more, such an exercise was bound to attract a number of curious onlookers.
This meant that apart from disclosing its lack of imagination and reliance on crude methods, a number of working hours were also lost, especially for those who had to pass through the road where the draining work was on.
Important to keep in mind that this particular incident occurred at Sangaiprou, one of the more busy places in Imphal.
The State Government and its machineries have to do much more than what is being done.
The adhoc approach has to go, especially when it comes to upholding the rule of law.
The much talked about police modernisation drive should have some impact on the manner in which the men in uniform conduct themselves while discharging their duties.
Makes no sense in making a public spectacle of themselves in front of everyone.
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