Soft spoken, not weak, but tough : Watching the 90 days mark
- Sangai Express Editorial :: October 25 , 2013 -

Soft spoken but this does not necessarily mean being weak.

Far from it, it could mean being tough in a way which is acceptable to all, shorn of arrogance and egotism.

MK Das, the present Director General of Police of the State Police Department may fit this billing to a T. An officer and a gentleman.

A rare combination in this land, where the level of arrogance is directly proportionate to the position one occupies in the official hierarchy, especially amongst the uniformed personnel.

Too bad that the term of MK Das as the DGP will wind up in November, occupying the highest office of the Police Department for only 90 days.

Lest it is mistaken, this is not an eulogy to an officer but taking note of the efforts being put in and no it is not because the present DGP is deemed to be media friendly.

At the same time, in as much as we are ready to dip our pens in acid, we will not hesitate in presenting bouquets when it is deserved.

Foot patrolling at night including the top rung police officers, mooting the idea of a separate Police Recruitment Board in Manipur (Read the article along side by Dr Khomdon Lisham) are some indications of a man who is ready to think out of the box and not merely play to the gallery to earn some brownie points.

"No political pressure....at least not during my time. I can't say for the others before me nor for the others who will come after me."

A response to a direct question from The Sangai Express on whether there is any political pressure to go slow in any of the major drug seizure cases in the State in the last couple of months and there is candidness written all over this answer.

It also says something very profound, the profundity of which would not have lost on the keen readers, people who can read between the lines.

An answer which has not been forthcoming from officers before him. The DGP went one step forward in admitting that since he was not in office at the time of the Pallel drug seizure case, he is yet to personally go through the case minutely.

Only a strong man will have the conviction to admit this and this is something which should be taken note of, seriously.

As stated, this is not an eulogy to MK Das as the DGP of the State Police Department.

Rather it is a look at a man who will be in office for only 90 days, but who is trying to make a change.

There is still a lot to be done and Mr MK Das must surely know this.

So far, there is nothing to suggest that the police have been able to achieve a major breakthrough in the Pallel drug seizure case.

Nearly 8 months down the line and the case is as fuzzy as it was then, apart from the arrest of the son of a sitting MLA the day after the drugs were seized at Pallel on February 24.

Nothing to show that any concrete steps have been taken up to unmask the king pins. The only tangible result or progress is the CBI taking over the case.

The same is the case with the Tulihal drug seizure case in January this year. A similar script also runs through the drug seizure case near the NRL petrol pump at Mantripukhri some time back.

The traffic in Imphal continues to be a mess, with the traffic cops abysmally ill equipped to deal with the increasing volume of vehicular movements.

Crimes against women and children continue with the police groping in the dark over the mysterious death of a young student at Singjamei area some time back.

It will need more than a tough man at the top to set things right, this is a given, and it remains to be seen how successful the DGP will be in changing the thought process of the police set up during his 90 days tenure.

However a beginning has to be made somewhere and the short period of three months should not be a dampener.

On the positive side, it can be seen as an example that if a man can do something in 90 days time there is no reason why the next man who may have more than three months in office cannot do better.

MK Das as the DGP is trying to make a difference and before this, he did succeed in making a difference in jail administration as the Additional DGP, ably aided by his subordinate officials, notably the SSP.

Significant points which should not be lost after the three months tenure.