Violating the sanctity of the uniform : Sanitise the system, now !
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: April 06, 2012 -

Manipur Police Raising Day Parade at 1st Bn Manipur Rifles Parade ground on 19th October 2011 - Pix :: Bullu Raj

Merely understanding the involvement of two IRB men and the complicity of a police commando in the rape of a housewife on March 24 or the arrest of eight IRB personnel while trying to smuggle 90 kgs of Ephedrine drugs to Myanmar as the conduct of some rogue elements within the State security forces would be missing the wood for the trees.

It is not only a question of some uniformed personnel getting caught with their pants down, but puts a big question mark on the credibility of the State itself and while the law should be allowed to take its own course of action, the State, as represented by its political leaders, cannot escape their moral responsibility.

The rape of the housewife as well as the seizure of 90 Kgs of Ephedrine from the possession of some uniformed personnel were nothing less than the manifestation of the very process under which they were recruited and this is where the moral obligations of the State come into focus.

This is not the first time that the State security forces have been caught on the wrong side of the law and it will not be the last either, unless the men overseeing the affairs of the State start washing their dirty laundries.

The very fact that the JAC formed in connection with the rape case has decided to go ahead and launch a series of protests, despite the point that the two IRB men have been arrested and placed under suspension with the police commando facing a similar penalty is a clear reflection of how much faith the people have in the system to deliver justice.

However it is unlikely that the underlying meaning of the stand taken up by the JAC will register in the minds of the people who matter and this is where the tragedy of Manipur lies.

In all probability, it was a case of 'bad luck' for the eight IRB men who were caught along with the huge drugs consignment though this is not to take away any credit from the Assam Rifles for doing what they did.

The fact is, the badge of dishonour worn by the State security forces, including the police, is nothing but the cumulative effect of the rot and dirt that starts from the very process of recruitment, the training and the sort of leadership provided by the top brass.

That something is deeply rotten is obvious. Talk, this is what the political leaders have been indulging in so far without any seeming efforts at the ground level.

Just a few days after he was sworn in as the Home Minister, Mr Gaikhangam went on record and stated that his first priority would be to change the image of the State police.

That the two ugly incidents have unfolded not long after the pronouncement of the new Home Minister should not be viewed as something ironic, for the fact stands that far from dispensing their duties as law enforcers, the State security forces have earned a dubious distinction down the years.

The gang rape of the housewife must have shocked and outraged the sensibilities of all the conscientious people of the land, but the involvement of the two IRB men and the complicity of a police commando as well as the arrest of 8 IRB men along with a huge drug consignment would not have come as too great a shock to the people.

It is the incident which shocked the people, not the involvement of the men in uniform and this itself should clearly reflect where the law enforcers stand in the eyes of the public.

It is a vicious circle or cycle. When the very set of men, who are supposed to be there on the field to enforce the rule of law have to mortgage their land, pawn the family jewellery and borrow money just so to grease the palms of the political leaders to make it to the recruitment list, then obviously the circle has to come back and this is what Manipur has been witnessing all these years.

Punishing the culprits is not enough. A thorough cleansing of the system as a whole is the call of the hour and this should start from the top and not the bottom.

When the very set of people, who wear the uniform, which is something much more than an attire worn by the general public, have no compunction of violating its significance and sanctity, then it is time to take to task the people responsible for violating and polluting the very understanding of the term State.