Twin City Commissionerate Police’s intention to provide security to women is not in question, but their priority is. The ‘Mo Sathi’ mechanism, which was launched with much hype with the Chief Minister’s presence on May 15, seems such a step. Who are the women who are going to be protectedIJ In fact, the class of women to be brought under this security cover is hardly known as victims so far.
look at the requirements a woman should have to get the benefit of immediate police protection against her tormentor! First, she must have a Smartphone with an android operating system and WhatsApp facility.
Then, she has to register her name and address along with other details in the Commissionerate Police website. The police will give an SMS with a link and a registration key. The woman in distress will press the registration button five times so that police arrive at the spot.
So, only tech-savvy women possessing costly phone facilities are the intended beneficiaries. As such, as stated above, this section of women are not the usual victims of molestation, rape or loot. They are from well-to-do families and mostly move by four-wheelers. They have their inbuilt security system.
And reluctantly speaking, many of these women, due to their provocative dressing and conduct in public places, are responsible for prompting young men to target the common section of women to satisfy their wicked desires.
‘Mo Sathi’ (My friend) is, therefore, a sectarian approach towards providing women security in the Twin City. Instead, as observers point out, a mechanism should be put in place to protect common class women who really land in distress for their defenceless environment.
Another act of the Commissionerate Police is asking the landlords to give details of their tenants to the police. The idea is honest in view of the crimes many tenants commit. But the system should be matched with infrastructure availability with the police. Email in police stations not working despite claim of paperless, online registration. This was the experience of a friend who visited the Sahidnagar police station the other day for the purpose.
Twin City Commissioner of Police Dr Rajendra Prasad Sharma is known to be a well-meaning gentleman in the khaki garb. On a regular basis, he has been holding interactions with different sections of the citizens in his bid to improve the city’s law and order situation.
It is worth recording here that the city police’s Operation Black Smoke drive, as widely admitted, is yielding good results. But why should there be emphasis on certain non-priority operations such as checking helmets of riders of two-wheelersIJ The police waste time on this when there is crying urgency to deal with crimes galore as witnessed in the city.
What really ails the system is the lack of sincerity on the parts of cops at the level of police stations. Despite all claims to the contrary, harassment of people going to police stations with their grievances continues as ever. The cops at the field hold the key to the public perception about the police force. The slogan of a “people-friendly police” would be really meaningful the day when citizens get a fair deal from the police personnel they come across at the lowest level.
The police would be viewed as friends to people only when an ordinary citizen with a complaint does not think several times whether to approach the police station for the fear of the cops’ indifference or harassment. let Dr Sharma look into this vital aspect!