Manipur police plan lessons on sensitivity to win people’s respect
KHELEN THOKCHOM
Women personnel of Manipur police march during the raising day function in Imphal on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections
Imphal, Oct. 20 : Manipur police are striving to shed their “brute force” image and become more humane and sensitive towards the people in fresh efforts to win respect rather than fear.
This image makeover plan was announced by the director-general of police, Yumnam Joykumar Singh, at the Manipur police raising day function held at the parade ground of the 1st Manipur Rifles here today.
“In one year’s time, Manipur police will become humane and thinking policemen. Today we are more confident and have the capability to respond to any given situation with efficiency, but the basic policing of investigation and crime detection have been neglected,” the police chief said.
Manipur police, particularly the commandos, a special police forced trained for combating armed militancy in the state, are known to “treat people like criminals”.
Governor Gurbachan Jagat, who was the chief guest at the function, agreed that policemen were feared rather than respected.
He said policemen should be properly trained and motivated and called for a better intelligence network to check extortion and abductions.
“We are focusing on basic policing like crime detection and investigation and making police more human and thinking so that they have compassion while dealing with people,” Joykumar Singh said.
Manipur police was raised in 1892 as Manipur Military Police, a year after the British conquered the princely state. Today, the state force has a strength of 33,000, including one commando battalion.
There are plans to set up nine women police stations. One police station will also be set up to deal with economic offences.
