In Defence of Cops

Many of us have had our brush with the keepers of the law. Some for the wrong reasons more than the right. However, I feel that there is an inherent sense of hostility towards the police force, at least as far as I've observed. Well, I've often felt that way too, no denying it. But when one comes to think about it…

Let’s face it; there are good cops and there are bad cops.

Though which of the two categories include more of them, I cannot say. And yes, I've met both types. Obviously, one is bound to meet both types if one has lived long enough in India.

There are cops who are helpful and those who are not.

There are who are corrupt and there are those who are not.

There are cops who are dignified and those who are not.

There are cops who are fit for duty and those who are not.

The list can go on and on depending on the extent of one’s interaction with the police but since mine is painfully limited; I feel should stop before I get ahead of myself and start assuming things. However, I do believe that it is wrong to both be afraid of cops and not to be. This might sound confusing initially, but let me explain.

Image Courtesy: Deep Panchal

People, normal people without connections in high places and access to a lot of money usually tend to be afraid of cops because of the assumption that all cops are rotten and that some unspeakable horror will certainly befall them were they to fall into the hands of any cop. On the other hand, people with access to the above mentioned things roam around with absolutely no fear of the law as a whole because they realize the power that they hold.

However, falling into either of these categories is foolhardy because although there may be a few rotten eggs, which institution doesn't? Agreed that there is much more to fear in this case, however faith in the law of the land should supersede this fear. Even those who think themselves above the law should beware that all cops are not for sale and even though that trick might have worked before, that may not always be the case.

Yesterday I read two stories relating to cops; one that inspired bravery and the other that aroused disgust for the Indian Police Service. The former story was about cops being honoured for bravery in Noida and the latter was about cops raping a homosexual man in Gujarat.

What conflicting stories!

How is someone supposed to get an idea about the police in this country? Exactly! One absolutely cannot. There is no way that one can stereotype the police in this country upon the actions of a few people. The only hope one can garner is that there are a few more good men than the bad ones in the service and believe that there is still hope for the order of law and justice in this land.