Need to control riot controllers
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: December 25 2012 -
Like the proverbial tiny spark that could set a mighty forest on fire if neglected, the failure of the State Government and its machineries to act promptly have only fueled the public anger over the reported incident of molestation and assault of film actress Momoco and opening fire at two other male artistes by one NSCN (IM) cadre identified as RV Livingstone during a musical concert at Chandel district headquarters on December 18.
If the State Government and its machineries have been little more sensitive to the nature of the crime when it first came to light instead of simply brushing aside the issue citing lack of evidence, we are sure that the public anger would not have escalated taking an ugly turn.
When the angry artistes hit the road in protest against, their main demand was to arrest Livingstone for taking up necessary action in accordance to the law of the land and pulling up all those security personnel who were present but remained mute to the molestation and assault of a defenceless young right on the stage in full public view.
But instead of arresting the culprit and pulling up the security personnel, who failed to perform their duty, right away as a responsible Government, what it did was to buy time.
And that has led the situation slipping almost out of the hands.
On the other hand, it is quite bewildering to look at the conduct of the State Police personnel in trying to control the angry protestors.
It appears that the State Police personnel have come to live under the impression that controlling mob or protestors mean using every possible force at their disposal even to the extent of firing real bullets.
Riot control is simply a measure used by the police and other security forces to control or disperse civilian protestors who are involved in a riot or protest demonstration with the help of less lethal weapons such as batons, whips, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, water cannons, etc.
Law enforcement officers and other sub-ordinate personnel engaged in riot control are also given special training to handle the job.
But from the conduct of the State police personnel, it is quite obvious that they have not been equip with the required training and expertise, and thus, they have come to assume that there is some kind of written laws which empower them to use any kind of force to quell a mob.
They could not see or differentiate between a rioter and an aggrieved victim seeking justice.
This is really unfortunate, especially in the present context of Manipur where cries for justice from every quarter is only growing with each passing day.
Anyway, talking of riot or mob control, State Police personnel, regardless of their ranks, definitely need to learn a lesson or two lessons from their counterparts who are presently handling the spillover crisis of the gang rape of a girl in a moving bus at the National capital.
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