Bangalore cops not game for human rights

At a seminar held for the policemen to make them aware about human rights and to ensure that the rights are given due regard in the administration of criminal justice, senior police officials were conspicuous by their absence.

The two-day seminar on ‘The role of police in protection of human rights in India: Issues and perspectives’ began at Jnana Jyothi auditorium, Central College campus, Bangalore University, on Friday. About 40 policemen turned up for the seminar. Of them, six were sub-inspectors and the rest were assistant sub-inspectors and head constables. Their countenance said they were not interested in the sermons on human rights.

Former Lokayukta Justice (Retd) Shivaraj V Patil, who inaugurated the seminar, too could not help but take note of the fact that no senior official was present for the seminar. He said it would have been better had higher-rank officials taken part, as they are the ones who can educate the junior officers about human rights. He noted that the low-rank officials do not have the authority to educate others in the department about human rights. He also laid emphasis on the role of police in ensuring human rights are followed. Nevertheless, he said it was good to see that at least some police officers were attending the seminar.

Justice Patil also made a remark about the need of educating the youth about human rights. He said making the youth aware about it is necessary as they have the potential to bring about a change. Of the 40-odd policemen who attended the seminar, about 30 were more than 50 years old.

Justice Patil said not only the policemen, but everyone in the society should be concerned about human rights. He said it was wrong to blame the police everytime a human right violation was reported. He said policing is a demanding profession and called it tough, difficult and complex. He said the expectations the people have from the police is more than what they have from any other profession. He noted that the police department is always in the limelight and, in a way, has become the face of the government. That is why, he said, the police’s lapses are highlighted and achievements sidelined.

After acknowledging the policemen’s difficulties, Justice Patil said sometimes the men in khaki go overboard and exhibit extreme behaviour, adding that there are some good officers in the police department. He said the police should serve the people as friends and not as baton-wielding enforcement officials. He noted that the issue of police atrocities was a major one.

‘Not practical’
When this reporter spoke to some of the policemen who attended the seminar, they said why they would be interested in attending it, adding that they were there only because their senior officers had ordered them to. They said they were aware about human rights, but if they start following the guidelines to the T, it would become difficult to maintain law and order.