Speakers drawn from several walks of life at a seminar here on Monday strongly advocated for immediate reforms in the archaic Police Act of 1861 so that the police force shedding its colonial mindset serve the people efficiently with a friendly attitude.
Retired and serving police officers, political leaders, lawyers, teachers, doctors, senior citizens and journalists of the city participated in the seminar titled “A day without policemen” organised by multilingual monthly magazine Police Public Press. The seminar was presided over by social worker, advocate Pradeep Kumar Patnaik.
Expressing concern over the precarious state of affairs of the police across the country, magazine editor Pawan Kumar Bhoot sought suggestions from the intellectuals so that policemen would command the same trust and confidence like the defence personnel.
Not unexpectedly, the speakers addressing the seminar used the occasion to bash the police for their inefficient, corrupt and oppressive attitude amid thunderous applauds from the audience. Gauging the mood, some retired policemen, who spoke on the occasion, admitted that the police have failed to secure the confidence of the people due to certain inherent problems.
Apart from the archaic and faulty Act under which the police system continues in the country, some speakers also blamed the political control, particularly of the ruling party’s control, over the police for the present shaky policing. The speakers, however, were unanimous in suggesting that massive reforms in the system are long overdue.