My book, Community Policing: Misnomer or Fact? (Sage Publications 2011), discusses the philosophy of community policing, its governing schools of thoughts, and its strengths and weaknesses. The volume also deals with conceptual variances of community policing, the factors that impede smooth collaboration between police and public, and the organizational principles that have been neglected by police organizations and others. Concepts like Police Syndrome, Conceptual Literacy, Person Steered Initiatives (PSI), Precision Policing Technique (PPT), Tracking Participation Footprint (TPF), Image Dating or Image Mapping (ID/IM), intuitive approach, and many more are explained and discussed. I have used case studies to elucidate the practical applicability of these concepts. I negotiate with the idea of allowing civilian participation to become one of the legitimate means of improving efficiency and effectiveness of police. I believe that compliance of law must go hand in hand with protecting basic rights of people. Unless this is done, the foundation of liberal democratic society is betrayed.

Importance of Research in Police

How important is research in shaping our work?
OR
Is research too theoretical to have any relevance in field operations?

All through my police career, I have found my colleagues questioning the importance and relevance of research in their work. The popular  critical comments are, "Every day is a new day for us", "No two situations are same" and the worst critiques would be "Researchers have no clue about the field dynamics", and "We being in field and facing situations, handling crisis know much more than any researcher would tell us through on and off superficial visits".

No doubt, each one of those comments come from experience and they are meaningful, but over-rating oneself and underestimating others is the cause of our clinging to colonial work culture. We have shielded ourselves from the changing need of the service seekers, eventually widening the gap between the two.

All the countries, which have changed their work culture, keeping in pace with the changed socio-cultural, political and economic dynamics, have learned from research inputs. External and internal agencies research contribute in analyzing the current practices, figuring out the need of the community served, suggest relevant changes and help in customizing and adjusting to desired change.

We lack in having fair and enriching research contribution in policing. And whatever valuable research is done remains often a paper work as an ornament in the shelves. Transferring research into action is a challenge, particularly when there is insurmountable inertia in appreciating good work done.

It is high time that countries facing a transition should appreciate and encourage good research to guide and assist them in reframing and restructuring their organization and operations. 

Human Trafficking: An ongoing challenge

The problem of Human Trafficking is omnipresent, across the globe. Native Indians in USA, African girls in war torn countries, East European girls trafficked to Western part, Philippine, Thai and south east Asian girls to Australia, Mexican and other South American girls in USA and Canada, African girls to UK.. the story goes on and on and on.... There is no end to these guresome stories.

How do we combat that? Where do we strike- 'Supply' or 'demand' side? whom do we focus on 'victims' or 'offenders'? Debate is on.. 

Human Trafficking is Humans exploiting Humans. So, solution lies in spreading awareness about amongst Humans, all, irrespective of age, creed, colour, race, religion and nationality. 

To start with, Youth is the best target for spreading awareness. They are the potential victims, prospective exploiters, traffickers and the best ears and eyes of the society. Their involvement can expedite the process of fight against trafficking manifold. 

To be more effective it is necessary to take up this as a mission at policy level and by civil society organizations, together.

The Pleasure of Service

I had always wondered about the power of giving. ‘Giving’ not only empowers the receiver but also empowers the giver. It is a win-win situation. I do not mean here materialistic give and take, but it connotes services of all kind. ‘Sensitivity is the jewel of humankind’ and only those who are sensitive can think of giving.

I had grown seeing my father give, sometimes beyond his means and still struggling to be happy. It pained me to lose my piece of pie and seeing it going to others. But, gradually I realized that it wasn’t mine at all. It was my greed, as I had enough, in fact more than enough.  We become so possessive that we don’t want to part that extra we have, which we don’t care for when it is lying with us, but strongly desire to have when shared with or given to others, who don’t have any. I even realized that I didn’t mind sharing with my dear and near ones, but didn’t want an alien to have it. Who are those aliens actually? It took me some time to comprehend. They were none but one of us, living in the same world, same community but still remaining as have not’s. The same flesh and blood, but getting different treatment from the haves.

Mahatma Gandhi, the great philosopher said, “Consciously or unconsciously, everyone of us does render some service or another. If we cultivate the habit of doing this service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and it will make not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large.”  Lately, when I stepped into my father’s shoes I figured out that he wasn’t struggling to be happy, but he was actually enjoying his magnanimity. I am so proud to be in his shoes now.

As a law enforcer I had a chance to see the worst of the world. I had two choices, either to be cynical or grab it as an opportunity to do my bit to change, help who were in need. I thankfully chose the latter. My interest grew in Anti-Human Trafficking efforts. Human Trafficking is one of the worst kinds of violation of human rights; a ‘modern slavery’ is what it is called as. I got a chance to interact with a community which was into ‘community based prostitution’. Most of the children would not have their father’s name for being a customer’s child. Mothers and brothers would be pimps for their daughters and sisters respectively. Education was a far cry in the society. Boys always aspired to be pimps and live on girl’s earnings, and girls had little choice but to become a prostitute at tender age, say around 13.  It was a big challenge for me to work with them. They are a very closed community, preferring not to interact with outsiders, except customers.

 I had multiple disadvantages for being a law enforcer. There was trust deficit between the community and law enforcement. They always received me with suspicion. My police organization did not appreciate my work as it was never my assigned job. They accused me of going wayward and act like a social worker. The civil society too did not take it well as they thought I was transgressing into their domain. Working with a community with stigma was a further challenge as the conservative society always suspected my intentions. Men were supposed to interact with the community only for sexual gratification. ‘I can’t be an exception’ they thought. My family was scared as they presumed that it may harm my reputation and credibility. The chances of character assassination were strong. So, it was never a cake walk; making inroads in the community, bringing my family to my side, taking head on the civil society and working by keeping my parent organization (police) in dark.

 I landed up working with them on experimentation basis, creating my own model of service, implementing with the help of a small group. My passion to serve unconditionally, selflessly, bore fruits and we started seeing results in no time. First, out of 40 children, 32 started going to local school. We facilitated the outreach of the government programs.  The women started grouping and discussed for better future.  But, soon I was to get a rude shock when the children started dropping out of the schools because of discrimination. They were either abused or isolated for being children of sex workers. To my surprise some children who desired to study enrolled themselves fictitiously as children of other community. “How can a child start life with a pseudo identity, compromising with dignity?”, “What sort of personality was in making?” were the questions that troubled me. We again took it as a challenge and tried to shift them to a better environment where they could live as what they were, in the capital of the state, giving them much better opportunity to interact with students from all classes and castes. First year, in 2011, we got six children enrolled. It was a hard decision as we met lot of opposition from all quarters, for having uprooted them from their roots. We had few families to our side that agreed and believed that it was the only way for the children to have education, without prejudices. I was banking on the ‘spillover’ effect. Our experiment worked and children performed extremely well. In 2012 children from three more villages (four villages in all) volunteered to send their children and 32 children, of same community, were enrolled in the schools. The most moving moment was when a girl studying in ninth grade rang me up, immediately after results were out, to tell that she scored 70% marks. She was the one whose mother wanted to push her into prostitution. If we would have failed to mover her out for 3-4 months more she would had been one of the trafficked child, a commercially sexually exploited child.

Now, when I go and meet these children, see them laughing and having best of their life, it motivates me, gives me pleasure and satisfaction. It cements my faith that serving others is bliss, a gift. People ask me why am I so passionate about Human Trafficking, and my answer is “I have seen misery from close quarters”. My passionate compassion is my driving force and I derive energy from those children, families, who have faith in me and made me believe that bringing change is possible. What we need to do is just be sensitive, join hands and do our bit for better world. As being human beings we all are stakeholders. A concerted, collaborative, coordinated and collective effort is a solution to fight this menace of human trafficking. 

Did USA think of moving opposite UK?

USA evoked a very stupid question in my mind...Why everything is opposite to our country, India. We drive car on left side with driver steering the wheel from right side and Americans drive from left staying on right side of the road. The switches have to brought from down to up to switch on lights!! the sockets have the single pin down and the two pins up, just opposite to what we have in India. The water taps in the bath tub will turn opposite, anti-clockwise rather than clockwise that we are used to. The refrigerator doors opens from right side and we are used to opening from left side. Even the spellings in english are different. So, there may be many more.......

I was baffled and for almost a month landed up doing things twice to succeed. It remained a question for me for long. Then during discussion with friends we discerned that perhaps this was an attempt by Americans to keep things opposite to UK and not India. At one point of time it must have been consciously decided that to ascertain their identity it was smart move to topsy turvy the UK settings. So, now it is USA vs UK, and we have to decide if we take up the colonial legacy or follow the current super power. I have to find if there is any other system in place, other than these two I am exposed to.... 

Passionate Crusade

I have always been warned "Are you not very passionate?" and always I throw back a question "Is it not good".  Surprisingly, the answer coming is "Yes", but the expression does not match words. Life has been very kind to me. I always wonder if it is equally giving to others.

My recent journey has been learning and awakening. It has somewhere touched inside me, prompted me to go beyond 'my-self', come out of 'ego-centrism', and thank those who may not matter to me directly, but matter to society, humankind, of which I am an inseparable part. My attachment with the children, their families, who have come a long way to schools from some forbidden land, who aspire to be like us, free and simply normal, who look forward to have a normal family, has given me a lot of happiness. It has made my voyage more meaningful.

I am said to be passionate about combating human trafficking. I do not have to wait and watch if they (who want to judge my passion) appreciate my passion or discredit it as an outburst of an emotional man. It is me; it is reflection of the voice of those who want  to be heard far and wide; it is mirror of the persons who want to travel through me distance, and raise people to the cause. My passion is admixture of many responsibilities, self created and hopes laid on shoulders.

When I look around me, as a law enforcer, I find myself to be privileged one. When I look around me as a law enforcer and social worker I find myself more privileged and honoured. When I look around me as a law enforcer, social worker and an academician I find myself to be privileged, honoured, and gifted. And when I look around me as a human being I find myself rich in all respects, the blessed one. Is not the, privileged, honoured, gifted and blessed a relative term. I found these terms gratifying only when I turned around to see people around me. Is not being simply human the right of all, all around us. I am passionate to know answer to the question that why to make ourselves the blessed one we have to step on others life and violate their rights. This passionate crusade is to awaken human beings that they can survive easily and happily without crushing the happiness of others. Let them all be simple humans with their basic rights intact and respected. 

Nostalgic Makar Shankranti

Makar Shankranti makes me nostalgic and emotional...reminds me of my late mother who would call all son's invariably on 14th Jan, each year, just to ask if we would give her 'bo'. A simple sentence would fall on our ears-"Tila Tila Bo Debe" and we parroted "Debo" meaning yes. Once when I asked the meaning of this ritual she told me, it was assurance to give her shoulder on death. This magic words worked for her and we three brothers were at her side when she died. Just an example of how meaningful can these rituals be to one who is a believer. At least it would give her peace till next year to come and finally upto deathbed. Wish you all a happy Makar Shankranti and share it joyfully with all dear and near ones...

SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd: Community Policing: Misnomer or Fact?: Veerendra Mishra: 9788132107279

SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd: Community Policing: Misnomer or Fact?: Veerendra Mishra: 9788132107279

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.

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!