Jan Police Abhiyan

7/28/2019 Jan Police Abhiyan

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Dear Fellow Citizens,

CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE’S POLICE

As you probably know, there is a huge public demand for reforms in various

institutions and areas in our country, especially Electoral Reforms, Administrative

Reforms, Police Reforms, etc. We would like to focus on Police Reforms.

WHAT WE WANT TO DO:

We want to build pressure on the political class to effect reforms in the police forces

of the country so that the Police:

Understand that they are for the people and are bound to act in the interest

of the people and that they are bound to ignore or resist illegitimate demands

of political or bureaucratic power centers. Are sensitized to the needs of the common man.

Are protected from the influence of unscrupulous power centers and can

perform their duties without fear or favour.

Understand their “duty” over and above what is prescribed by the text of the

law. In other words, Police should perform their duty not only in letter but in

the spirit of the law.

Break the entrenched resistance from the political class and the bureaucracy

who have a vested interest in leaving things as they are.

In short, we want to “humanize” the police forces of the country.

BACKGROUND:

A judgement by the Honourable Supreme Court of India, on 22nd Sept. 2006

in the PIL of Sh. Prakash Singh & others gave 7 directions to the state and

Union Governments for Police Reforms.

A month later, in October 2006, Soli Sorabjee Committee set up by Ministry of

Home Affairs (MHA) of Government of India handed over a Model Police Actto the Government.



Now, seven years later, the S.C.is questioning states and the Union Govt. why

they have not implemented its directions while, the Model Police Act remains

buried deep in dusty shelves of government offices.

Documents received from MHA under RTI show entrenched resistance from

the senior levels of Police and bureaucracy while political executive are seento be largely indifferent to the Police reforms.

A joint advocacy campaign during 2009-10 by 3 NGOs, Common Cause, CHRI

(Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative) and FRNV (Foundation for

Restoration of National Values) to reform the Delhi Police Act along the lines

proposed in the Model Police Act, 2006 was successfully resisted by the

bureaucracy and the Delhi police.

WHO IS DRIVING THIS INITIATIVE?

A group of highly respected NGOs and individuals who have served or are serving in

Police, Government, Private Sector or NGOs at very senior levels have decided to

launch a campaign to generate widespread but informed public demand for police

reforms across 9 states - Bihar, U.P., Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Karnataka and A.P. Law and order and Police is a state subject as perour Constitution.

This campaign is for a police service which works for and is accountable to the

people of our country.

The campaign is not about police-bashing but about building trust between

the police service and the people of our country.

The campaign aims at helping bring about changes which would align police

functioning with the felt needs of the people and the society and transform

prevailing adversarial relationship between the police service and the people

resulting from colonial and feudal mind set, to one based on mutual trust and

respect.

The campaign would be owned by the people who join this campaign and by

those, who are motivated to change things and would like to join the

campaign but prevented from doing so for whatever reason.

Student communities and youths are expected to provide the driving energy

to this campaign.



WHAT THE CAMPAIGN AIMS TO ACHIEVE:

1. Police must change from ‘Rulers’ Police’ into ‘People’s Police’. Its role,

functions, duties and responsibilities towards people must be explicitly

defined by law.2. The police must impartially uphold and enforce the law of the land.

Wrongful executive interference and its stranglehold over policing

functions must cease.

3. Police behavior towards the common man should be marked by empathy

and respect. Police must be sensitive to the special needs of women,

children and the disadvantaged and poorer sections of society.

4. Police recruitment, transfer and promotion processes must be made

transparent.

5. All Police personnel at Police Stations and Police Chowkis must receive

behavioral training and up-gradation courses on current laws as well as

technological innovations at least once in 3 years and also at the time of

promotion.

6. Police infrastructure – manpower, transport, communications, and

forensic support must improve substantially at Police Station level.

7. All police personnel, from Constable upwards should be able to earn atleast three promotions in their service career. Housing and job related risk

insurance must be provided to all police personnel and their family. A

policeman should not, in normal course, be on duty for more than eight

hours at a stretch.

8. An effective and independent system of police accountability must be

immediately established at District and State level by setting up District

and State Police Complaints Authorities as directed by the Supreme Court.

9. A mechanism must be set up for police interaction with and accountability

to the community through well publicized open meetings, monthly

meetings at the Police Station (Thana) level and quarterly meetings at

SP/DCP level.

10. The Model Police Act, 2006 must be legislated into law by each state

and sincerely implemented in letter and spirit.



ROAD MAP:

Over the last few years, several cases have shown that:

Government responds to strong, unified public opinion.

The middle class is finally actively participating in effecting reforms.

The younger generation is becoming increasingly restive and aware of its role

in building an India that will be a better India.

The younger generation has found its voice and is beginning to be heard.

Hence, the plan is to launch a major public opinion building operation to achieve the

maximum effect in the shortest possible time, and to prevail upon political parties to

institute integrated police reforms which achieve the ten (10) aims enumeratedabove.

The initial launch is through social media viz. Facebook, You-Tube, Google group,

emails and SMSs which become viral.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN IN THIS EFFORT TO TRANSFORM INDIA?

If your answer to the above question is “yes”, we would like invite you to identify

local activists in various towns and district centres and we would provideinformation to them about the nature of reforms we need. These activists and their

team would then be expected to activate an informed campaign with local

population and with local MLAs, MPs and other political functionaries.

Join this campaign by responding to [email protected] or by SMS

to 09810845627 or 09810647137. Forward this communication to your friends,

relatives and colleagues so as to convert the campaign into a popular public demand

for People’s Police which works for us, the people and is accountable to the law andto us.

We have waited for 66 years since independence. We, the

people of India, must now have a Police Service which we

would want to like, trust and respect. You can make it

happen.

If you want change, make it happen.

mailto:[email protected]




Jan Police Abhiyan

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Transcript of Jan Police Abhiyan