M A I L B A G

Time to train cops in crowd control

The editorial “Police brutality” (July 27) rightly observes that the policemen in Gurgaon had no business going berserk. As a senior citizen, I feel deeply shocked and anguished over the crass brutality of the Haryana Police.

This brutal police behaviour is attributable to various factors — colonial heritage, the outdated Police Act of 1861, corruption, the police-politician-bureaucrat nexus and no training. The police need to be imparted proper training on crowd control without resorting to brutal methods of torture.

A corrupt agency and repression are correlated. It is least alive to its obligations and constraints under a democratic dispensation. The police-politician-bureaucrat nexus makes it most compounded. Unless the political elite show the will to reform the police in tune with the recommendations of the National Police Commission and other independent reports, the polity is destined to go downhill.

Dr PREM SINGH DAHIYA, Rohtak

II

‘Barbaric’ would be too mild a word for what the policemen did to the hapless workers in Gurgaon. Granted they were incensed over attack on their officer, yet it did not give them the right to settle scores in this revengeful manner after four hours. The detestable incident is a slur on any civilised society.

There is need to train the police staff at various levels. Brawn and not brain seems to be the declining factor in the selection and appraisal of the policemen. This is anachronistic.

Dr JAGDISH BATRA, Sonepat

III

No doubt, the workers indulged in violence. But the policemen are expected to be a disciplined force meant for law and order and not for thrashing common people ruthlessly right on their heads. The police should have acted in a professional manner and maintained their cool.

A civilised man will not bludgeon over a savage animal so mercilessly as the policemen did by raining lathis on the protestors pinned to the ground. The policemen lacked the crisis management capability and the knack of properly dealing with the common citizens. The guilty amongst them must be severely punished.

BHAGWAN SINGH, Qadian

IV

The workers were badly beaten up by the police when they were peacefully protesting against their company in support of their genuine demands. The manner in which the Haryana Police behaved that day indeed reminds one of the Jallianawala Bagh incident in Amritsar 86 years ago.

Dr RAJAN MALHOTRA, Rehan

V

Provocation might have been quite to the level of inviting action from the police to bring the volatile situation under control. But being the protector of the people’s life and property, the police cannot go berserk despite provocation. The way the workers have been huddled together and beaten up blue and black did not give the impression that the local police was trying to control the workers, but taking revenge against them.

RAVI SHARMA, Jammu

VI

“Ye Bharat Desh Hai Mera” where innocent workers are openly beaten up by their policemen! How can one ever believe such an inhuman action by the police? But this has happened in Gurgaon. All those involved in the crime should be punished.

PUNI JAGGI, Doraha

VII

The Gurgaon incident was Jallianawala Bagh-II as the Haryana Police gathered the agitated employees at one place and used lathis on them for a full three hours. The Chief Minister should suspend all those policemen who had brutally beaten the employees on their heads.

B.K. VOHRA, Ferozepur

VIII

The crux of the problem is that the policemen alone should not be made scapegoats to the whole episode. A person who goes for work is supposed to be orderly and disciplined. But the way the workers took out a procession in spite of Section 144 Cr PC being in force and started confronting with the police cast a slur upon the entire working class. But the police action too is highly condemnable. Hence they need to be trained on how to behave.

B.C. MANDHOTRA, Kumarsain (HP)