Right on Eric and with reference to what Radhakrishnan, Sachin and Naguesh wrote about the CBI; Every retired senior Indian police officer who has written a book about their career (I have read them all) bemoans the fact that the police is structured to work under the orders of the Home Department - whether Central or State. This is a colonial hangover of the days when the British needed that kind of hierarchy for the smooth implementation of their rule in India. That worked in the days when the British administrators and all levels of police were known for their honesty.
They say that the only way the police can function effectively in India today is to be cut off from all connections to the politicians. The politician-police-criminal nexus that exists today is not of police making. Intelligent, honest and upright officers plead that the Police Service should be made independent of Government. This happens in Canada and other less than Canada developed countries too. Their budget should be separately allocated and direction should be through policy dictated under independent civilian oversight consisting of men of repute from all walks of life on fixed terms as nominees. This body will also take care of their well being which means a decent salary and living benefits that do not make them require to look elsewhere. This is much more affordable to the country and the local govt than the present state of affairs that results in grave monetary and social costs. Their ultimate overseer will of course continue to be the judiciary. More honest police officers will do their jobs much more efficiently when they know they have been promoted or placed in a posting on merit. When they know that doing their jobs as it should be done for the good of the community and country does not mean a sudden transfer to a backwater from which advancement will never come. In today's India (and I know the workings of the police not just from books alone), senior officers who are upright cannot discipline their subordinates or even their fellow seniors who are openly violating police codes, due to political interference. These subject to discipline officers and men run to the politicians who are more than happy to interfere knowing that the complainants will be beholden to them from then on. I personally was witness to an incident in Bombay years ago when Gopinath Munde was the state home minister. I was present in a senior officers cabin when he received a note from Munde telling him to drop a particular case he was investigating. This upright officer told me he routinely tore such all notes from his political superiors even though he got constant flak from the Commissioner. However, this note was from the biggest boss. He had two choices. Again tear up the note or just phone Bal Thackeray who was Munde's nemesis although both Shiv Sena and the BJP (Munde's party) made up the coalition government at that time. However being the man this officer was, he just tore up the note as he was used to doing. A month later, this officer was transferred to Nasik and made to report to a far more junior rank. On 1/6/07, John Eric Gomes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The deadline the Supreme Court gave the States for affidavit on Police Reforms is reported to be end December 2006. Many States including Goa have not yet replied.Those who did, disagreed by and large ,on the grounds that the Cabinet is responsible for Law and Order, and being elected representatives,they do not want the opposition or others to have a say in Police matters!