Stripping the tag of elite force
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: November 21, 2013 -

In yet another welcome development that shows that DGP MK Das is a man of his words, in all 15 tainted police commandos who are either involved in police cases or are under departmental inquiry for disciplinary action have been stripped of their elite status and transferred to other units of the Police Department.

The latest development has come about just a day after the DGP announced to the media that the police commandos who are facing police cases or are under departmental inquiry for various charges would be dealt with seriously in an earnest effort to streamline the functioning of the State Police Department and instil a sense of discipline as well as professionalism among the Police Commandos.

Leaving aside the question of the legality of having such an elite force in the State Police Department, how the morality of the State Police Commandos has gone down the drain over the years from unmatched power and patronage given to them by the State Government without the requisite training to be imparted to ensure efficiency and discipline is a well-known fact among all today.

So, the initiative of shunting out the tainted police commandos as well as other excess Commando personnel to other units is appreciative, and this would surely send out a strong message to other personnel who have become habituated to indulgences on the wild side of their duty line.

Interestingly, the announcement of the DGP for cleaning the 'Home' and taking up necessary action against the tainted police commandos has come on the same day when the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) came up with the observation that it could not find any of the 44 encounters in Manipur it has taken up for investigation as 'genuine' and although AFSPA has been made the villain for extra judicial killings, majority of the fake encounters are carried out by the State Police Commandos.

Even if this observation of NHRC which was based on its findings from just 44 cases taken up for study seems to be unfair to the State police as it appears to have given a clean chit to the Army for their numerous acts of commission and omission in Manipur with unrestrained power and immunity granted under Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the State Police Commandos could not be surely exculpated from the charge altogether.

How the untrained and undisciplined police commandos, who are not actually protected under the Act like the Army but have come to live under the impression that they could also do whatever they like, have been going out of their line of duty is no secret to anyone.

What is even more despicable in the lowly conduct of the State Police Commandos is their complete absence of conscience from even looting the unsuspecting public of their mobile phones and money and raping women who could very well be their mother in age.

So, hats off to the DGP for keeping his words and the promise of a clean and discipline elite force deserving its name and status, howsoever, questionable, their formation may be.