Quote:In another shocking incident of police brutality, a truck driver was allegedly clubbed to death for refusing to pay a bribe of Rs 5,000 by constables of the regional transport office in Chandauli. What's more, this is the second such incident reported in a month from UP. Similarly, the police firing on protesting farmers in Pune back in August that left three dead is an example of the blatant disregard for human life that our men in uniform sport. The brutality with which lives are snuffed out point to a culture of barbarity that has taken root within the police system.



The problem stems from the fact that our police continue to operate under colonial systems and laws that were designed to subjugate a restive population. The transition to a modern force aimed at serving the public never took place. This has created a policing system that feels its authority over public life is paramount. Even when violent demonstrations occur there is a case for use of non-lethal force, such as water cannon or rubber bullets, in order to subdue demonstrators. But that almost never happens, with police graduating to live bullets straightaway.



Adding to the existing systemic woes are poor service conditions. According to a 2009 Human Rights Watch report, police forces in India are overstretched, overworked and forced to serve in tough conditions without any incentives. This was once again highlighted by the recent revolt of West Bengal armed police personnel serving in the states Maoist-infested areas. Despite their dangerous service assignment, the men were housed in a dilapidated camp with no proper amenities. A CRPF unit asked to stay at the camp refused on grounds that it was unlivable. Factor in that India has a police-to-population ratio of 126 per one lakh people around half the UN-recommended figure and it is not difficult to see why policing is a thankless job.



Underpaid and neglected, it doesn't take much for our policemen to succumb to the temptation of taking short cuts and abusing their authority. And thanks to political patronage, most policemen feel they can get away with impunity for nefarious deeds. This has resulted in a complete lack of accountability to the public, with marginalised sections of society bearing the brunt of police atrocities. The remedy lies in meting out exemplary punishment to erring officers, as well as extensive police reforms. The latter need to focus on better pay and service conditions, and implementing modern police practices aimed at creating a people-friendly force.

Quote:In many ways, Vachathi was a test case: not so much for the judiciary as for India's social conscience. In June 1992, this tribal hamlet in northern Tamil Nadu was witness to what brutal law enforcers and callous government officials could do to the poor and the powerless. Women were raped, men were assaulted, houses were looted and destroyed, and cattle were killed, all in the name of upholding law, of preventing the illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood. The planned, systematic attack on Vachathi was carried out quite brazenly.While men in the lower ranks indulged in violence, senior officers watched from a distance. The subsequent attempts at denial and cover-up were indicative of sanction for the attack from elements at the higher levels of the government. That the tribals of Vachathi slowly found their voice in the face of such repression, and fought for justice in the courts during these 19 years with support from social and political organisations and human rights activists, is reflective of the strengths of a democratic society, notwithstanding its obvious inequities and deficits. The wait for justice might have been long and tiresome, but was finally rewarding. That people's struggles can have a decisive impact on the course of justice was clearly demonstrated in the Vachathi case. [/size][size="3"] The 269 persons arraigned as accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation must have thought that they could get away with crimes against the hapless villagers, who were offenders in the eyes of the law. Nothing else can explain the seeming impunity with which they went about the assault on the village.



[/size][size="3"]But what is worrying is that such attacks can happen in the first place. Those given charge of enforcing the law often see themselves as above the law. Uniformed forces, especially, think nothing of trampling on the rights of ordinary citizens. Misuse of power and abuse of authority are seen as perks of office. Security personnel and government officials are themselves steeped in social prejudices, and tend to show little respect for the rights of those lower down in the societal hierarchy. The correct lessons must be learnt from Vachathi. The verdict of the district and sessions court, holding all the 215 surviving accused in the case guilty of various atrocities, should serve as a reminder that the rule of law will have to be upheld everywhere, including in the remotest of villages. Atrocities and violations of rights anywhere shall not go unnoticed, and there can be no refuge for the law-breakers, especially for those from among the law enforcers. Civilised India cannot afford a repeat of Vachathi.

Quote:...The farmers were demanding a price between Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per maund (40kg) of jute, while the buyers refused to pay more than Rs 300 to Rs 400, based on the quality of the produce. This angered farmers and they blocked the NH 52 as a mark of protest. "Lately, our expenditure in jute cultivation has been exceeding Rs 2,000 per bigha. The price fixed by the wholesale buyers at Besimari does not even meet our expenditure, let alone bring us profit. We strongly oppose the injustice," said one of the jute farmers at Besimari.[/size]

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