Simply Disgraceful
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: March 15, 2013 -

Who exactly they are and what do they exactly think of themselves?

This is a question most people are asking today over the manner our so-called Police Commandos in Manipur have been conducting themselves without any respect for the established norms and procedures for a elite force.

The allegation of highhandedness and indulgence in excesses in performing their duties by members of this supposed elite police force or unit may be nothing new many people.

But the March 13 incident at Khongman Okram Chuthek, in which a team of Imphal East Police Commandos led by a Sub-Inspector beat up two local youths for refusing to buy Khaini for them, has showed how the moral standard of the so-called Police Commandos in Manipur has really gone down the drain, literally.

What was even more shocking, nay, despicable in the latest incident is the manner in which the Sub-Inspector, who must have obviously felt jilted by the refusal of the two youths to obey his command for buying a can of Khaini for him, thought of cooking up charges of possessing drugs after slipping two N-10 tablets inside the pockets of the youths.

And the banned pharmaceutical tablets have been given by one of his own subordinate personnel, ‘who could not even open his eyes properly’, thus indicating that the said sub-ordinate personnel or the rest in the herd or the SI himself is in the habit of abusing banned substances!

It was to the credit of some women vendors in the nearby market, who have been quietly observing the conduct of the Commando team all along that the dirty trick was finally exposed for all to see.

Now, coming back to the question of who exactly are these so-called Manipur Police Commandos and what they exactly think about themselves, ‘commandos’ are supposed to be specialized unit force well-trained in assault on conventional military targets.

But do our commandos qualify to be bracketed within this elite group?

Leaving aside the question of legality of having such a commando unit in the State Police Department, how well-trained and better equipped is the Manipur Police Commandos to live up to the name of ‘Commando’ in the real sense of the term in action as well as in spirit is debatable.

On the other hand, their involvement in various illegal activities right from petty crimes like snatching mobile phones and money from unsuspecting passers-by to serious crimes like rape, fake encounters, etc, are something well-known to everyone right from small kids to elderly persons.

In one of our earlier comments through this column, we have noted how the sight of an approaching police team evokes fear in the mind of the people instead of ensuring that feeling of security and safety.

The same is even truer in the case of Manipur Police Commandos, who are known for notoriety that would put even the hardest criminals to shame.

In short, Manipur Police Commandos they have become a shame for the whole State Police Department.

An occasional seizure of drugs from an Army Colonel and his accomplices or arrest of UG cadres from here and there would be hard to reclaim the lost trust of the people on them.

In fact, these successful exploits are what they are expected to do, but they have strayed away from their line of duty so far away that some section of the people heaved praise over their recent Pallel drug haul.

This was funny. And now, beating up youths for refusing to buy Khaini for them!

That is what Manipur Police Commandos are all about, so low and disgraceful.