Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Are we taking our children seriously
To be honest, there is a new trend in lifestyle. The issues we talk about most is what we enjoy violating. Like, everyone has something to contribute on the subject of traffic management, but always look at others to obey. The recent, in vogue, is the issue of child rights. Given a chance, each one of us would like to give our piece of mind on protecting child rights, but turn our back to actual situations. The latest to add to the list on child right issue is 'Child Soldiers'. Knowingly or unknowingly, deliberately or unintentionally, willingly or unwillingly, we have started using children as shields to many of our nefarious activities. Their innocence and ignorance is being used by us, adults, to our benefit. I have been deliberately using the word 'us' so as to project the issue in all context, from all perspective. I am presuming myself to be in all roles; as a common man, as a law enforcer and also as a law violator. To be honest, I have worn all those shoes, at one point or other.
'Child Soldiers' does not construe child taking up fire arms and going on front to fight their foes. It is not just children's being direct combatants. It includes all those jobs which assists in combat situation. They are used as mercenaries, messengers, spies, intelligence gatherers, logistic carriers, supply providers etc etc. They are safest mode, tools and instruments, as still we have not come out of traditional mindset of perceiving children as innocent. But, are we realizing that by engaging them in all above said ways, we are soon (dis)-orienting the other parties to change their stand and start looking children, as well, with suspicion. In kashmir, the law enforcement agencies have started doubting children's birthright of innocence and ignorance. Even in red-corridor areas and North-Eastern States, law enforcers are gradually changing their glasses to have a different picture of children. Similarly, the other party, the anti-government combatants, have shifted their view on children after State machinery started involving children as Special Police Officers (SPOs). I have tried to draw a picture of situation prevailing in our country so that we relate to it easily. Identical situation has evolved in all parts of world, be it developed, developing or under-developed countries. African countries, like Congo, Nigeria; Afghanistan in Asia, Bosnia and Kosovo in Europe and others have been facing this problem for long now. Recent outbursts and protests in all revolutionary countries fighting for change witnessed similar upsurge in children's overt involvement in adults game. The looting pictures in UK has depicted that Western countries is no exception.
This trend has its own perils. Children will no more be chidren; We wont anymore treat them as children; and we are booking ourselves into a dangerous future.
Bygone are the days when the parents would ask children to quit room when contentious issues were discussed within family. They did not want their children to be party in any of adult politics, and now we dont mind their indulgence in issues leading to bloodshed. I think this miserable trend is an evolution in humankind, very similar to shifting of puberty age to pre-teen years.
It is high time we mend our ways or else we will jeopardize our future.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Baba Ramdev's statement on corruption
| Baba Ramdev trying to create a parallel power structure decided to drift away from the earlier stand to support Anna. Are they serious about the issue. I think it is not matter of corruption... it is politicizing corruption. Why the need for second forum, why this struggle of main bada ki tu bada... why difference of opinion to prove might over right....why disrespecting peoples movement and attempt to hijack it for vested interest. Are we, common people fools to overlook this, or ignorant and naive to unread it, or our feelings of no significance and meaningless vulnerable to be toyed by these so called common person's messiah's.....So, we are heading for some more politicians to join the bandwagon of "all said and nothing done".......I have nothing against anyone but I detest the way we are treated-pure morons! |
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Hail Blog!
“Do I have the privilege to think loud”, I thought silently. Most of the peoples right of expression and speech is challenged, overtly or covertly since childhood, not for that they have grown in some conservative setting but because the hierarchical society structure do not appreciate loudness. Writing is a way to vent out, but penning down and unable to share is like thinking loud in washroom with all taps noisily flowing to suppress hearing. Not all have the chance and pleasure to be published and read. Here is where blogging came to the rescue of this big chunk of populace giving them opportunity to uncap the lid for pent up feelings to flow. It exposed bloggers to wider perspective on issues, trivial and important. Responses and re-responses added spices, value adding in flavor of content. It is a big stress-buster with blogger moving high-headed with sense of being heard and feeling of achievement. It is a communicative mode which is easy, cheap, fast, non-hierarchical, bereft of social discrimination, encouraging creativity, innovativeness and appreciating one’s initiative (with freedom to choose subject to write on). Now, one has the prerogative to think loud or silently. A revolution for social change is on anvil and blog can serve in mobilizing for it to fructify. What change? may be the big question. The change is the desire to be heard, to express which would ultimately lead to less tolerance to shabby treatment we are accustomed to. Blogging will pave way for the revolution to take shape, become reality, making the delivering agents responsible and accountable. Hail Bloggers and Blogging space.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Community Policing: A new perspective
Why do we talk about community policing. Is it not showcasing what actually police are supposed to do or have been doing for generations. Why is there need to put old wine in new bottle and market it as great innovation. Is community policing that we discuss anyway different from traditional policing.
Community policing words hence catches me off guard. I feel little out of place in explaining verbatim these two words, and needing them to bring together through this concept. To me the very definition of community policing sounds so familiar, a jugglery of words, states the traditional work in new format. There are just two words in this concept ‘community’ and ‘police’. Community policing is an attempt to establish collaboration between the two. With the police no longer the sole guardians of law and order, all members of the community become active partners in the effort to enhance the safety and quality of neighborhoods. Community policing has far-reaching implications.
To fructify the extended outlook on crime control and prevention, to meet the new emphasis on making community members active participants in the process of problem solving, and to establish the constabulary / officers’ critical role in community policing, there is need for intensive changes within the police organization. The neighborhood patrol police officers, backed by the organizational support, helps community members mobilize support and resources to solve problems and improve their quality of life. Community members voice their concern, contribute suggestion and collaboratively take action to address the problem. Creating a constructive partnership will require the energy, creativity, understanding, and patience of all involved.
Here I would go to the extent of saying that the very existence of police is due to community. They are both in my opinion inseparable and their association is indispensable, and has been ever so. The police stations will run out of job if the community stops to participate. If they stop complaining, registering cases, providing evidences, becoming witnesses, police existence will be at stake. That will give rise to a big problem of identity crisis for the police. Hence, it implies that for all these years the police have survived merely because of community support. Then the million dollar question is why talk about community policing when both have been there, supporting each other, being together. Why coin a new word community policing when the community and police have been together since its inception. Why not just plug the holes in the system wanting attention. Can’t the attitudinal problem on either side be corrected and collaboration and participation established.
The partnership, which is innate, has become more of a coercive one. The companionship is selective and there is lack of willingness on either part to participate. Over the years, both the natural partners have gone astray, drifted away from their necessary role, resulting into widening of the gap and requiring immediate intervention to bridge it at the earliest. It is in best interest of both to join hands. The mind set of alienation has to be changed. Development of mind-set means that the new experience become very real, very important, almost vital. A new mindset in favour of partnership and participation has to be ascertained. If one becomes alert to the new mindset one will begin to live in a new and different atmosphere and try to achieve the goal as planned. The interest behind this book has been to agitate the mind of both community and police about the need to rejuvenate the lost fervor of partnership, to synergize their actions and, plan and work together for a common goal. Unless this realization does not seep in, become the mindset, no honest attempt in the desired area can be made.
For the concept to become a mindset it is necessary to have Conceptual Literacy (CL) of the parties. Conceptual literacy indicates that the knowledge of the concept should precede action. Conceptual literacy increases adaptability to changes. With more situation changing on daily basis, technological changes knocking doorstep, more opportunities and challenges being thrown open, only the conceptual literacy comes to the rescue. It prepares to adapt to changes. Conceptual literacy also helps in strategizing the energy investment. Energy investment strategy (EIS) is a method to optimize the outcome from investment of energy. Energy here includes the efforts put in for planning, developing, implementation, collaboration, evaluation and refurbishing. CL and EIS are complementary to each other.
Acceptance without conviction is a mental impediment and a blockade to implementation. The Law of Belief says: Whatever you believe, with conviction, becomes your reality. A person always acts in a manner consistent with one’s deepest and most intensely held beliefs, whether they are true or not. All ones beliefs are learned and at one time they did not have it.
Without a proper mindset normally the statement coming from field officers in the organization, are like “It is too much hassle”, “I would like to do what I am interested in”, “I am not interested in doing it but I am doing it because my bosses want me to”. In police, the culture developed is to dance to the music of superiors without an attempt to understand the implications. There is lack of conviction at implementation stage and confidence missing about the outcome. Unless a person is motivated to and willing to change, it is hard to change. The attitude required in the job is “work to learn-don’t work for money”. Especially, this illustrates the challenges, dilemmas, fears, perceptions and realities of shifting policing emphasis. This also points to the organizational realities and to the roles that individuals in the organization has to play. This also presents that decentralization of power and having faith in the real executors will energize a routinized police officer and pep him up.
The reason for such attitudinal hassles has been the intuitive approach[1] in policy decisions adopted by seniors. They think that they are the best judge to decide upon the operational intricacies at the ground level without bothering to collect data from field. Even their hierarchical rigidity and attitudinal stubbornness (as described by theory X by Douglas McGregor[2]) gives rise to the communication gap.
Time has come when precision policing techniques (PPT) must be used. The approach towards policing has to be more decentralized and localized. This will help in conceptual literacy of the implementers and service receivers. Quite naturally then the policing activities will fall under the zone of acceptance, which has been a far cry for police actions in the past. The involvement of community in policing activities will enhance once they start identifying their presence in the approach.
It is necessary to understand the cause and effect of community policing. Various variables, which are deterrent to an effective participation of community in policing activities, have to be explored. Conscious effort should be made to deliberate on the relationship between various sections of community with police, the perspective angle and the police organizational and personnel issues.
The purpose of the discussion here is to examine recent and less recent developments in the major policing innovation/experiments dubbed as community policing. It is an effort to make a dent on the mindset of the police and community, both, so that they partner and participate for each other’s benefit.
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