Friends, If there was one order of a Superior officer I feel like jumping over and complying with immediately, it is the one in which the Gujarat DGP Sri S S Khandwawala has ordered that even constables should henceforth be addressed only as officers, in all official communications. As per the Indian Express report he says- "Constables are actually the junior most officers in the police hierarchy. They should be given due respect and treated as officers,". It is my personal view that if only we senior officers in the police hierarchy could start giving the proper respect to junior officers in the Police department, it would mark the real begining of a new era. It would not be wrong to say that I have seen and heard some of the senior officers (including IPS officers) using such words for these subordinate police officers which many won't use even for their enemies. And mind you, I am not using any hyperbole. I have seen Police Constables standing before their SP/ DIG for hours, not ever once being asked to take a seat or even to have a break. Despite not being a great believer in God, I thank the higher superior power for getting me into IPS and not having made me a SI or a Constable. With my kind of volatile nature, I am sure I could not have continued for more than a few months in the service. In such situations, the words of the Gujarat DGP Sri S S Khandwawala come as being nothing less than sweet music. All I can say is that I find a wonderful leader and a great human being in Sri Khandwawala and appreciate his measures in no uncertain words.
Amitabh Thakur IPS Currently at IIM Lucknow
