Republic Day Parade on Red Road, 2010                                                                                  28th January, 2010

Media persons have a general tendency to blow a story out of proportions. We all accept this because we know that they have to somehow catch fleeting public attention and improve TRP ratings of the channel! However, we feel sorry for the reporter, when, by doing so, he misses the wood for the trees!

One recent example is the ‘News’ of Kolkata Police traffic sergeant’s motor cycle suddenly developing a fault while passing the saluting base during the Republic day parade. The machine sputtered and stopped midway and after some embarrassing moments, the sergeant could make it start once again. But, by this time, the damage has already been done! This ‘News’ was aired in the ‘Star Ananda’ channel throughout the day, showing it as another example of ‘gross inefficiency’ of Kolkata Police organization.

Now, a machine is after all a machine and in spite of best possible human efforts, it can go wrong at the most unexpected moment. This is not to say that everything is all right or to say that we are quite complacent about it. In fact, we have already ordered a departmental enquiry for fixing up the responsibility and initiating corrective actions.

But what pains me most is the conclusion drawn by the news anchor of the TV channel. He declared to his audience with a smug face that the episode proves the ‘gross inefficiency’ of Kolkata Police.

Do the media think that the efficiency of an entire organization like Kolkata Police with strength of more than 24,000 people can be judged by a single technical fault? Does the anchor know that on the same day in the same parade, Kolkata Police contingents won no less than six prizes under different categories? Has that channel ever considered that more than 8,000 policemen were performing their duty tirelessly since 0530 in the morning in and around the venue of the Parade? And why on 26th January only? A large group of policemen had been keeping sharp watch on the parade ground and also on the malls, multiplexes, and places of religious gatherings at least seven days before the Republic day celebrations. And all this was for making the citizens safe and secure while they were watching the parade! But obviously such considerations did not play in the mind of the news anchor!

Of course, we want to do everything we do with absolute perfection. And so in the case of Republic day parade. Any minor glitch in the parade upsets us, saddens us and makes us feel immensely embarrassed. Because it stares in the face of our efforts in doing things to the utmost perfection. But even then imperfection pops up at all odd times, technical snag happens. When it happens, you can do nothing but to stand, watch and wish that it did not happen!

The dysfunction of the sergeant’s motor-cycle is a technical problem. Whether it could be avoided is debatable at this stage and only a full fledged enquiry will throw answers to this. But drawing a conclusion from that glitch about how inefficient we are is, I think, ethically poor, factually wrong and eventually a lie served to a large audience the news channel boasts of.

Technical faults happen at every field. Even the television news channels are no exception. We often are witnesses of ludicrous incidents on the television screens because of technical faults. How many times one has witnessed the anchor asking a question repeatedly to his field reporter but the field reporter gives a vacant look, only to be told later that the ‘satellite link’ has broken! But such things never make us jump to the conclusion that the news channel is inefficient. We accept it as a part of life. Then, why not in the case of police?

The story did not make any sense to majority of the audience, but it caused immense harm to the morale of the force, which is relentless in its duty to make the city safe. I personally nurture a great respect for the Media, as the ‘fourth estate’ of democracy and it has every right to be critical on public issues. But such criticism should be positive and constructive and should not turn into bashing a soft target like police for its own sake!

I will be happy to receive your comments on this.

Goutam Mohan Chakrabarti

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Power failure? Call the Commissioner                                                                           8th January, 2010

This news item published in The Telegraph on 2nd January, 2010 is a sad reflection of how some vested interest groups are dragging the office of the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata into a quagmire of controversy over some comments which I actually never meant!

The main issue i.e. public security has been put on a backburner and my comment regarding future holding of cricket matches under floodlight at the Eden Gardens blown out of all proportions. Once for all, I am saying that, as an ardent cricket lover like all of you, I am the last person to stop a cricket match in the city, but at the same time, I, as a professional policeman, cannot compromise on the safety and security of thousands of Kolkatans.

You must be knowing that 26/11 has increased the responsibility of Kolkata Police by manifold as Kolkata is on the radar of the terror elements. The glitches in the power system can be taken lightly by a commoner or a CAB official (with all due regards to the institution of CAB) but it is never so for us. A mega event like the cricket match at Eden Gardens can always be a potent target from these elements. You may recall how the Sri Lankan team was targeted at Lahore in Pakistan a few months back. This time a few days before the match, the security manager of the Srilankan team, an army official of the rank of Major-general, flew down to Kolkata for a special briefing on the security scenario. Even, I had to send one of my Special Commissioners to brief the Sri Lankan and Indian teams at their Hotel regarding their ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ every evening. Moreover, a power failure in an individual household can never be put on a similar footing with the incident at the Eden Gardens, where thousands of people including ladies and children assembled to watch the game.

Our journalist friend might have got misguided by the conversation on the live show on the ‘Star Ananda’ channel between the CAB adviser on stadium lighting and Special Additional Commissioner Mr. Debasish Roy over technical jargon and failed to judge the merit of programme where I was representing the city police to clarify the position taken by us on security aspect.

The sarcastic comparison between the Commissioner’s post with that of an electrical engineer left a bad taste, more so when I never claimed that I have any profound knowledge over the subject. I once again humbly reiterate that Shri Debashis Roy, Special Additional CP, was entrusted with the enquiry to establish the prima facie reasons behind the floodlight fiasco on 24th December, 2009, as both the agencies, CESC and CAB, categorically denied their responsibilities. I still believe that the fact that Shri Roy was a qualified power engineer before he joined IPS would help him in this enquiry.

Every incident where there is a future ramification, e.g. a major street accident or a house collapse, is always followed by a police enquiry to ascertain the reasons for the mishap and suggest measures to avoid recurrence in future. So, there is nothing wrong in causing an enquiry into the incident to ascertain the reasons behind. The enquiry was undertaken not to initiate any blame game but to enable the organizers of such mega event to undertake remedial action urgently, keeping in mind the coming IPL as well as the overall security scenario.

I am sorry, no, proud, to say that I, as long as holding the chair of Commissioner of Police, will never compromise on the issue of safety and security of the people of Kolkata. I shall strive to ensure that the question of security and amenities to people are given paramount importance before we give our no-objection to any of such matches. And, indeed, I hope that I shall get the support of all concerned including CAB, CESC, PWD and all other government and non-government agencies and last but not least the common man in my endeavour.

Happy 2010 and happy cricket viewing!

Goutam Mohan Chakrabarti

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