HVK Archives: UP on the Verge of a breakdown
UP on the Verge of a breakdown - The Times of India
Prakash Singh
()
12 March 1997
Title : UP on the Verge of a breakdown
Author : Prakash Singh
Publication : The Times of India
Date : March 12, 1997
The Union home minister's statement that Uttar Pradesh was heading
towards "chaos, anarchy and destruction" has caused great
consternation. Even under President's rule, things are getting out
of hand in the state. There is a political vacuum, administrative
paralysis, economic stagnation, intense caste and communal hatred
and the all pervasive corruption. UP being the most populous state
of the Union and situated as it is in central India, it is like the
heartland suffering from a heart attack.
Crime Figure
There has been an upward trend in the crime figures during the
first 45 days of the year compared to those of the last year with
dacoities increasing by 45 per cent, murders by road hold-up cases
by 87 per cent, rape cases by 11 per cent, and dowry deaths by 15
per cent. Although the total number of IPC cases were about the
same as last year there is an impression that criminals are having
a free run all over ever since political murders and caste
conflicts rocked the state.
An impression seems to have gained ground that this is true in
varying degrees for the entire country, that you could commit crime
and get away with it if you have political patronage at the
appropriate level. The police would either not proceed against you
or, having initiated action, drag their feet to defeat the ends of
justice. How else does one explain Ms Phoolan Devi not being
arrested in spite of a non-bailable warrant? She was incapable of
disappearing into the ravines. It is well-known that the political
establishment was not in favour of her apprehension.
The IAS and IPS officers, as also those belonging to the state
services, are now convinced that the state government is more
interested in serving partisan interests rather than upholding the
majesty of law. The rule of law is to be applied only to the
extent it can be enforced against the opponents or persons with no
godfathers. While crime pays policing does not. The dedicated
officers are harassed by frequent transfer,, and humiliated by
dust-bin assignments. No wonder, they are today in a hopeless
minority. The recent selection of the "three most corrupt
officers" of the state provided a kind of comic relief, but the
governor unfortunately resorted to an unexceptionable subterfuge to
shield one of them.
As a corollary, the officers are increasingly getting politicised.
A big chunk of them carry political or caste labels and are often
reshuffled with every change in the power equation. With politics
and crime getting intertwined, bureaucracy and the police have
become part of the nexus. This unholy trinity is having a
malignant influence over public life and, poses a threat to the
democratic structure of the state.
Religious sectarianism is another challenge to the administration.
The VHP is raking up the issue of Krishna Janambhoomi at Mathura.
There is apprehension of trouble on April 18 at the time of
Id-ul-Zuha and, again on August 25 during Janamashtami. One
wonders how the law enforcement machinery would deal with the
situation.
The state has had several traumatic events on the law and order
front during the last five years. Starting with the demolition at
Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, there was assault on the Allahabad
High Court on September 13, 1994, excesses on the Uttarakhand
agitators in Muzaffarnagar in October, 1994 and the infamous
ransacking of the state guest house on June 2, 1995. Inquiries
were instituted but there was no follow up action. No lessons have
been learnt and no plans drawn up to ensure that there is no
recurrence of such incidents in the future. The state, in fact,
lurches from one crisis to another.
Political Protection
The situation could still be salvaged by posting right officers at
the right places. Having done that it is important to give them a
sense of confidence that they shall be protected in the performance
of their legitimate functions, irrespective of the political
interests that get hurt in the process. Police protection to all
the criminal elements should be withdrawn including those who have
political status. The corrupt elements in the services need to be
dealt with rather severely. A state security commission comprising
persons from different walks of life could be constituted to give
credibility to the administration and insulate it from the
pernicious influence of changing power configurations. But are the
powers that be prepared to rise above narrow sectarian, regional
and political considerations?
(The author is a former director general of UP police and the BSF)
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