Into the heart of darkness

Recently, a CCTV in a Bengaluru Metro station recorded images of a man molesting a female passenger. There was outrage when the local home minister commented, tastelessly and tactlessly, that a woman has no business being in the metro station at midnight. There was outrage in the English TV media on the scant regard shown by the minister for the right of a woman to move about freely. As usual, the media was barking up the wrong tree. The real tragedy is that even 70 years after independence, a woman cannot walk safely alone, at any time, in a major metropolis or elsewhere.

Forty years ago, one was told by the host in one’s Bronx apartment in the US, not to walk alone from the metro station even if it were 200 yards away, but take a taxi. In New York Broadway — the centre of the world — one was advised not to walk alone after 9 pm; citizens in Chicago were given the same advice decades ago.

It is noteworthy that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has this year, publicised 10 US neighbourhoods asking the citizens to take precautions.

Indeed, only until 20 years back, a car could only travel in a convoy and with a police escort, on the national highway from Agra to Kanpur, in the night. In north India, the ‘thuggee’ menace had largely been eliminated by Colonel Sleeman during the British Raj, but still survives in patches in many districts. To be honest, people would not prefer having their family or friend travelling in a car at night on many roads in north India – some not too far away from Delhi as it may be unsafe – there have been too many reported incidents. No doubt, the Karnataka government (as most of India) is thoroughly incompetent in maintaining law and order, even in their own cities – don’t blame the minister for speaking the truth.

What’s more dangerous is statements like ‘boys will be boys’ by national leaders, relating to rape incidents. It is a well-known fact that in many states, copying in school exams, including university examinations, is open to all – the DM and SP dare not intervene. This is the mindset of those ruling our country.

The recently released urban crime report shows an alarming increase in crimes against women, including rape, particularly in Delhi. Note that the actual crimes reported and FIRs recorded are only a small fraction of such incidents. Do not go further and examine the inconsequential, irrelevant and extraneous issues such as the technical and factual quality of investigation, massive corruption at investigation levels, a near-defunct public prosecution machinery, the years or decades taken up in the ‘judicial process’ – euphemism for trial dominated by unscrupulous lawyers; one dare not go any further, the Judiciary is perfect! Is there genuine authentic data on the real conviction rate?

One’s information from old UP days was that if one in five cases is registered, and one in hundred registered FIRs results in a conviction, this would be the norm; surely things have not improved since then!

We have a large home ministry apparatus. Law and order is a state subject – it is also probably the most corrupt field department. Even 25 years back, the chief ministers utilised the computer in the CM’s office to make ‘transfers and postings’ of sub-inspectors in thanas  – concurrently obliging every MLA, MP and the mafia on one hand; and completely dispensing with the need to have the SPs, DIGs and IGs in the hierarchy, who now play only a spineless ‘advisory’ role in meeting politician’s personal ends. This is with an apology to many highly-spirited quality policemen at all levels.

During the British era, an unarmed white man – the DM or SP, could go to the remotest village alone, accompanied by one orderly and spend the night in the midst of the ‘natives’. Today, the average chief minister, (an Indian citizen as per the Constitution) requires 30 armed security guards around him, to even attend a private marriage. Can one discern the abysmal fall in law and order standards, not just in urban areas but across the country? What a fall there has been, my countrymen!

In the late ’80s, the then Indian Ambassador in Geneva received a traffic challan enclosed in an email, to be paid by him, or to appear in court on a particular day if he wanted to contest the traffic light violation; the notice also mentioned that since the car had a diplomatic number plate, he could opt to not do anything. The ambassador sent a sharp reply, that he was a careful driver, and could never have committed a traffic offence. Within 24 hours, the return mail carried a picture of his car violating the red light; the ambassador paid forthwith. This was 30 years back. Today, in ‘Digital India’, it is not clear why 10,000 challans are not issued, say in Delhi, say in one week, with the punishment ranging from Rs 5,000 for the first offence, permanent loss of licence for the second, and jail further on – don’t we have the technology?

In Geneva, a wrongly parked car would be photographed and towed 300 miles to be reclaimed by the owner at his own expense — today, there will be a dispute between ten authorities as to whose job it is.

Recently in Ahmedabad, three rapists were given the death sentence within six months. Our average police station does not even have the technology and facilities to test rape swabs; they will extract fortunes at the FIR/ investigation stage and effectively kill the case before it begins. Will Delhi continue to have more than 3,000 annual (counting only the recorded) rape cases, if 30 convictions take place with death sentence within six months, publicised widely?

The fundamental approach to law and order will relate to ‘preparatory’ and ‘precautionary’ – and at the other end ‘rapid punitive exemplary punishment’. This is basic and axiomatic all over the world. Prevention and severe swift punishments are the keywords. Perhaps these are not important in a democracy – just like pollution, pure water, public health, education, gender equality are non-issues; so are law and order issues of no consequence, since they concern only the ordinary citizen.

The author is a former cabinet secretary. Views expressed are personal.