Context
Our life gets heavily influenced by the stories and anecdotes that we hear as an individual or group throughout our life.
Some examples of such anecdotes are “पढ़ोगे लिखोगे बनोगे नवाब, खेलोगे कूदोगे बनोगे ख़राब”(Studies will build your future and sports will ruin) is a prime reason for the current status of sports in our country. Similarly, “राजनीति से दूर ही रहना चाहिए” has its own influence on political dynamics.
अनेकdotes around police
One of the first such anecdotes that we hear from our parents during early childhood is “पुलिस वाले आएँगे और पकड़ कर ले जाएँगे”. The adult and more “refined” version of this is ” लोगों में पुलिस का डर होना चाहिए”. There are grave and undesirable repercussions of these casually made statements and anecdotes.
The repercussions
“People should have fear of Police” approach mainly results into hesitation and fear among victims of crime. They don’t feel comfortable visiting Police Station, hosting police personnel at home and expressing in front of them. This fear in people in general and victims in particular empowers criminals to continue with their criminal activity. They are reassured that people will not report to police. The so “desired” people’s fear is translating into encouraging criminals and perpetuating crime. So who should be afraid of whom in this Victim-criminal-Police ecosystem?
The alt approach
Answering this question becomes easy if we first answer a simple question. “Who should not be afraid of police?” My premise is, people in general should never be afraid of police. Visit them, welcome them, & open up in front of them. In turn, people frequently visiting police personnel and expressing grievances will create fear among criminals. That fear among criminals is a much desired and efficient output than an entire citizenry being afraid of police.
Win-win for all
Answering who should not be afraid of police leads us to find out who automatically gets fearful of police. This is not enough. Among criminals, whose fear is it? Fear of what?
The very source and basis of this resultant fear of police among criminals is that people can approach police without hesitation or inhibition. That fear in reality is not of Police but of people in general. A miscreant harassing girls outside colleges will be more afraid if more and more girls start complaining about it to police. Remember that statistically its easier for criminals to negotiate fear of few police personnel but near impossible to survive burnt of people storming to police against crime. Also its easier for police to ignore hesitant, fearful and shy victims than flood of victims putting police personnel accountable to act against criminals.
Police-people distance empower criminals, allow police evade accountability and leads to breeding ground for crime. Answering the root question, no one need to be afraid of police. Get close to police so that criminal are get afraid of you.
अंतर्देशीय 