Law and order are two separate notions. Though often used together and to indicate a kind of socio-political balance. But these days, the two terms are getting de-linked more and more. There have been repeated attacks on police constables and officers by wayward youth or wild mobs and caste-community fanatics.
There is little respect for law and the police are unable to maintain order. Indeed, in quite a few cases, the men and women in Khaki uniforms have themselves gone berserk. Anarchy has taken over.
Politicising Attack on Cops
Maharashtra is ( falsely ) known as a progressive state. Indeed, thanks to Bollywood, cricket and the Bombay Stock Exchange, the image of Maharashtra is that it is free from casteist politics and the perception generally is, there is order in the urban chaos. This image has been shattered many a times, particularly after the destruction of Babri Masjid, when in December 1992 and January 1993, Mumbai had become the killing fields. Since then, not only Mumbai, but in many parts of Maharashtra, there is neither law nor order. But the recent attacks on police show that there is a rapid collapse of authority.
Two young boys going on a motorbike, when apprehended by a senior police, turned wild and attacked him. He died a couple of days later. The boys were Muslims and the police was a Maratha Hindu.
There was a huge uproar and the issue could have turned communal with the Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray taking a lead in hyping the issue of attack on police. But within the next four days, there were other attacks on police, and they came from Hindu boys and a young college-going Hindu girl. One senior police official was nearly killed by four Ganesh Bhakts, as they tried to literally drown him. So the communal dimension was diffused.
Downfall of an Institution
However, the question of rather frequent attacks on police has raised a systemic and sociological question. What is at the root of a spurt in such attacks? Can this be brought under control and the authority of the police established? Or can this lead to discontent in the Khaki force, further exacerbating the anarchy?
The police force as an institution has lost credibility and the lumpen and organised youths, with blessings and active backing from some or other political party, have lost respect for any authority.
There surely is a case in defence of the police constables and junior officers. Their living conditions are pathetic, income meagre, families alienated, working hours erratic, their duties are uncertain with more and more religious festivals and mass participation in them, Ganesh festivals often overlapping with Id and processions passing through Masjid areas, keeping vigil almost 24x7 and standing through heat, smoke, dust and rain - all this, and more, have taken a toll.
There are frequent reports of police persons committing suicide, often driven by depression. And even the police personnel at class III and class IV levels have modern aspirations. They too want their children to go for higher education, yes even for IIM, IIT and seek IT or management jobs. They are exhausted as they try to keep pace with the social race.
Dealing with Lumpen Elements
Such
aspirational police class with surrounding depression and diminishing
opportunities, is faced with a vast army of lumpen, religious and caste
fanatics and arrogant, neo-rich middle class youth. This so-called “demographic dividend” is often backed by the Shiv Sena or Raj Thackeray’s
Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena, or even the RSS-backed Bajrang Dal and Sanatan Sanstha, or Republican Party of India, or several other Ambedkarite political
outfits, or SIMI and many other Muslim political organisations.
Either
unemployed or motivated by hyped pride in caste or religious beliefs, they feel
“protected” from the so called law and order machinery. The conflict is
embedded in this scenario. These youths have lost direction, hope and patience.
Even their waywardness can be understood with empathy, just as that of police
personnel.
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Mounting Frustration
This is an explosive mix. Particularly against the backdrop of growing caste mobilisations. The dominant Maratha caste has become aggressive as it feels aggrieved as they see the Dalits rise on social ladder with reservation system protecting and promoting them. The same reservation is denied to the Marathas ( like Patels in Gujarat, Jats in Rajasthan etc).
The police force in Maharashtra, naturally has a very large Maratha representation. With caste (and neo-Hindutva) identities carving out new niche and fresh frustrations, there is a rapid decline of sanity and trust- either in state or society.
About 35 years ago, similar frustrations led to a violent strike by the police force. The police personnel turned riotous, burned government property, attacked signals and stopped buses and trains by mass demonstrations on railway tracks. But then it did not have caste, community or religious angles. Today, with rising aspirations and ensuing frustrations, the so called “demographic dividend” is threatening to become “demographic dynamite”.
(The author is a senior journalist and media consultant. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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