Policing amidst Lockdown

-Monikangkan Barooah |

Unlike India, the UK police will first approach the person or the crowd in question and ask why they are roaming and then encourage them to go home. To abstain to roam around, the officer may slap a fine and as a last resort will use “reasonable force” to make people return home. However, scientific modelling by experts has convinced the UK government that without the stringent measures in place, the hospitals will be overwhelmed by COVID-19 infected patients. The Government there has prepared a database of 1.5 million people based on their medical histories and intimated them on maintaining the social distancing and self-isolation for prevention of super spread of the virus.  The result is disastrous and UK has recorded highest numbers of COVID-19 cases along with Spain and Italy.

Contrary to UK, Indian police has successfully persuaded their people to stay home but there have been reports of police highhandedness, often beating with danda’s, to enforce lockdown.

Shashi  Tharoor, a lawmaker, has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop police from using violent force. “I have no doubt that most police personnel are doing a commendable job in these difficult times. However, those who brutalize citizens are bringing disrepute to the efforts of all others,” Tharoor wrote in a letter posted on his Twitter handler.  Tharoor’s letter followed the online circulation of several videos and images depicting police brutality after the imposition of the lockdown to dampen the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak in India.

In Pune, authorities launched an inquiry into the death of an ambulance driver who was allegedly beaten by police, the Times of India reported. Police suspected him of illegally transporting passengers in his vehicle. The Times of India also reported that a 32-year old man in the state of West Bengal died on Wednesday after being wounded by police. The man’s family claims he was hit when he ventured out to buy milk.

The current highhandedness by the police is only an exasperated form of their usual behaviour in normal times. It gets aggravated during such situations because; first, there is little accountability during crisis.  Second, they know well that, Police had a very long history of subjection; subordination and consequent servility, and a large number of Indians, over a period of time, have developed their submissive natures. As a result, they do regard authoritative, overbearing behaviour of state officials as a sign of ‘good or strict administration’.

Most of the people are in unison that Police in India have done a commendable job in these difficult times to restrain people of roaming around and to stop the cycle of super-spread of virus. As the lockdown announced, policemen risked their lives on the streets to ensure that the country’s 1.3 billion people stayed safe indoors. Some have distributed food and milk packets, including senior citizens. Food rations were distributed in police trucks. Some have even tried innovative means like wearing spiked helmets like COVID-19 as flashed in the media to dissuade people of coming out to street.

However, while enforcing the lockdown, some of them were forcing people to do squats, scramble on their hands and knees as well as lie down on the ground and roll over several times in opposite directions. The habit of the police force to swing their Lathis first and ask questions later is a reflection of some systemic problems. This is because for some Police personnel, controlling the public becomes their idée fixe. And this leads to the transition that is known as ‘abusive power and control’. The stringent measures of lockdown blues has acted as deterrent for people to come out of their houses. But for an offence on one count, there may be one punishment and anything above that may invite counter offence.  For an offence of breaking lockdown by a person for whatever reason may invite penal action, but for no reason the enforcing authority has the power of resorting to public humiliation by uploading such content in the social and electronic media. A taxpayer, a teacher or a government servant has an image and carry weight in their respective fields as well as in the society. They may be persuaded to stay inside home or may be fined, may use minimum force to enforce law or may be booked under respective penal code but cannot be humiliated at any cost.  For an offence of one count, after enforcing the ‘minimum force’ to dissuade the offender and then humiliate them to do squats, kneel down and uploading it in the media attracts counter offence of multiple punishments.

The police force, as one of the sentinels of democracy, should also be applauded and encouraged for their duties and at the same time dissuade their highhandedness at times to their own citizen whom they are destined to serve.

Assam Police, of late, have taken effective steps to stop this menace of punishing and uploading the clips of alleged offenders and the public at large have appreciated the effort of the police administration. Let the initiative of Assam police set an example for other Indian states to follow.