Muscle power is not everything in police work!” This is one of the lessons we have rediscovered as the world battles the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 (coronavirus) triggered lockdown has brought a lesser-seen compassionate side of men and women in khaki, who do not enjoy a good reputation and are usually known for their brutality and corruption.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a nationwide lockdown, to prevent further spread of coronavirus, the duties of the police changed overnight with no precedents or a standard operating procedure (SOPs) to guide them on the ground.
From being used to chasing criminals for preventing crime to providing security cover to VIPs till now, the police force was faced with a new task of enforcing the lockdown rules, chasing people who violate home quarantine, trace the travelers and take legal action against those flouting the lockdown orders.
Just like medical professionals, the last three months have been quite hectic and difficult for the cops also in the UT of Chandigarh as they are getting accustomed to the new normal and remain at a higher risk of contracting Coronavirus themselves.
Chandigarh Police constable Suman Kumari, 26, who was found Covid-19 positive last month has recovered from the virus and joined back her duty. She is, however, still recuperating from the impact that the deadly virus had on her physical and mental health. She was deputed for maintaining law and order in grain market, Sector 26 here and underwent Covid test due to breathing trouble. After she tested positive, around 11 of her colleagues were also quarantined.
“I was tested positive on May 12 and was admitted to GMSH-16. Later I was shifted to a quarantine facility at Sood Dharamshala here, where I spent around 13 days. Isolation period was not easy as the virus took a toll on my physical and mental health. After recovery, I stayed in the isolation at Police Hospital Sector 26 for a few days,” recalls Suman, who had joined the police force just a year back. Coronavirus outbreak was the first big challenge she faced while discharging her official duty.
The woman constable, who hails from Bhiwani (Haryana) is now performing beat duty in Sector 39 market. “As situation is still risky, there is a sense of fear at the back of the mind after contracting this virus but duty comes first…” she adds, as her hectic official duty of more than ten hours during the pandemic keeps her busy the entire day.
Fortunately, only one positive case has been reported in Chandigarh Police so far.
During the pandemic, the day-to-day policing activities have changed. For, the police personnel are now seen 24x7 on the roads and markets warning people and checking violations of Covid-19 safety protocols.
Be it standing continuously for more than ten hours shift in the June sun at the barricaded containment zones or maintaining round-the-clock security at the designated Covid-19 facilities, police personnel are taking up diverse work profiles during the pandemic. People’s reluctance to follow protocols and the spate of violent attacks on the police force for enforcing lockdown restrictions, perhaps remain a big challenge for Chandigarh Police.
Yet again, there were also reports of aggressive police enforcement of restrictions with violators made to do sit-ups and police using batons to ensure social distancing.
Chandigarh’s Senior Superintendent of Police, Nilambari Vijay Jagdale tells The Pioneer, “The preceding three months have been tough on both fronts be it professional or personal.
The police force has been performing the role of disaster management, savior and extended family rather than the traditional work of enforcement. Fighting Covid-19 has taken quite a toll.”
On the challenges being faced while leading the police force during the pandemic, she shares, “It was quite a tough job to ensure imposition of all instructions, rules, restrictions by Government of India as well as local Administration, which were changing very frequently as per changing situation.
Long working hours, deployment of police force for multifarious roles, resistance from people living in some containment zones and their continuous persuasion and counseling, were some of the challenges. Police also had to impound vehicles and impose fines for violations.”
Apart from this, we also had to ensure that everyone gets two square meals a day and stranded people reach their native states safety, she adds.
Chandigarh’s first woman SSP Nilambari was often spotted distributing pizzas and sanitizers among slum children while other police personnels were seen feeding stray dogs, distributing food to destitute people, providing slippers, masks to needy people, stitching masks, distributing chocolates and books to kids in containment zones during the lockdown period, revealing a kind face of UT Police. A mother of five years old girl, the SSP shares, “My daughter is deprived of her time with me. I am totally devoting my time to serve the people as well as taking care of the health and well being of my police force.”
“I could hardly find time for my family for the given period, needless to mention here that I have to take all precautions while entering my house before I could meet my family,” she tells while sharing her experience on the personal front.
“Even in difficult times, the sense of discipline, duty and hardwork in my police force remained intact. Rather this period brought forth a new positive image of police in the entire India and especially Chandigarh police. Police shed its colonial tag and emerged as friends in need for people especially for poor and needy, senior citizens and women in Chandigarh,” she adds.
While the duty-bound cops hardly get time to spend moments with their loved ones, they continue to go far beyond their duty in not only enforcing the lockdown rules but doing social work of visiting citizens with birthday cakes, delivering essential commodities to lonely senior citizens among others.
Manoj Kumari and her husband Vinod Kumar, both constables in Chandigarh Police have not been able to take care of their children in the past three months due to their hectic work schedule and are being helped by their friends for the same.
While a day- long duty extending up to 12 hours at the containment zone-Bapu Dham colony (BDC) is keeping Manoj busy, her husband is looking after multiple duties. Manoj, 30, is serving in Chandigarh Police from the last ten years but she terms the pandemic period as her most challenging job like the rest of her colleagues.
As her duty is in a containment zone for more than two months now, the mother of two always fears carrying the infection home with her. “My son is only two years old and my daughter is eight years old. Whenever I get home, I first take a bath and wash my clothes before meeting my children,” says Manoj.
Sharing her ordeal, the lady constable tells, “She leaves the kids with a friend because the relative who used to take care of them before lockdown could not return to Chandigarh from Haryana as travelling is not safe as yet. My husband and I remain busy the entire day due to our official duty.”
“This is a time of deep uncertainty but we still hope for things getting better soon,” she adds.
On her experience about manning the containment zone- BDC- in the city, she says, “Dealing with people who are angry, impatient and depressed due to strict restrictions is very difficult. Several protests have been held in BDC, police personnels have been attacked but we have always kept calm to pacify the agitated residents.”
“I have to wear a PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) kit whenever I go inside the containment zone. People in the containment zone are very scared and they usually do not cooperate with health officials to get tested and follow quarantine protocols. So we have to accompany the medical and other teams for conducting tests, contact tracing of positive cases, enforce quarantine protocol besides maintaining law and order situation in the area. I have been on a beat duty in BDC for over a year now and people trust me here,” she adds.
Recalling a sweetest memory, Manoj shares, “There was a day when the children had pasted a slogan outside their houses ‘Padega India, Tabhi To Badhega India’ indicating that they need books to keep them engaged during lockdown. After reading it, we informed our SHO, who arranged colouring books, pencils, sketch pens etc for the children. These were distributed among children and seeing them smile really brought a sense of joy and contentment to me that day.”
Head constable, Kirpal Singh, 48, who is deployed in a police control room (PCR) vehicle stationed at Sector 26 feels that the functioning of police force has changed since the pandemic hit the country.
“We deal with the public on a daily basis but rules are different during pandemic as we also have to observe social distancing, wear masks and use sanitizer besides enforcing these safety norms. Our duty hours have always remained long and tiring but this is entirely different experience in my 30 years of service,” he says
“In last three months, people have complained about running out of food, sick patients at home, someone violating quarantine or other safety protocols. We have delivered food and also used PCR to shift sick patients who were not symptomatic and were suffering from other diseases to the hospitals. I don’t remember receiving any call related to any crime incident as others calls related to problems of people confined to their homes in lockdown kept us busy,” Kirpal Singh adds.
The data with the UT Police suggests that the crime cases plummeted in Chandigarh following the imposition of curfew and subsequent lockdown to stem the spread of Coronavirus. The curfew, which was imposed on March 24 in the city to ensure social distancing, was lifted on May 3 midnight by the Administration. Currently, the city is placed under lockdown with imposition of night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am.
From January to May, the cases of robberies have decreased by 67 percent while the cases of snatching, burglary, and motor vehicle thefts in the city have decreased by 50 percent, 36 percent and 33 percent respectively, stated the data with UT Police.
As far as violations of curfew and lockdown order is concerned, 993 persons were arrested while 11756 vehicles were impounded and a fine of Rs 1.56 crore was imposed during the lockdown period till June 14 in the city.
Meanwhile, in the battle against the contagious disease, the cops have not only displayed limitless resilience but also showed their creative side to send out a message that everyone should take this deadly virus seriously.
Known for his flair of writing lyrics and sing songs to promote compliance to traffic rules and safety measures in the tune of Bollywood and Pollywood songs, Chandigarh assistant sub-inspector Bhupinder Singh has created quite a buzz online with his new songs on battling the Coronavirus and Arogya Setu app. His videos while singing these songs in parks and streets of Chandigarh are going viral. The songs are also being widely shared on social media platforms of YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
“The lyrics of my song promote traditional greeting methods- Sat Sri Akal, Ram-Ram - to prevent the spread of Coronavirus and the other song focuses on the importance of Arogya Setu App,” ASI Bhupinder Singh says.
He says, “The idea behind these songs is to discourage people from flouting the government –mandated constraints and follow the mandatory protocols.
These days, no one wants to be lectured about anything, so I try to spread awareness about significant issues through my songs. At present, Coronavirus is a major threat for humanity.”
“Jei coronavirus tu bachna hai loogo, dur tau hei Sat-Sri-Akal changi hai, Ram-Ram, Sat-Sri-Akal changi hai (If we want to save ourselves from Coronavirus, then we should greet each other from distance by folding hands and saying Sat-Sri-Akal, Ram-Ram),” he recites at the end of the conversation.
The troubled times have apparently not only forced the cops to make swift adjustments to their workflows but also brought to the fore their soft and kinder side. They acknowledge that policing challenges will only get complex as the pandemic continues and there remains concerns of an upswing in crimes besides social tensions with the economy in tatters and people facing financial hardships.
However, like every one of us, the men and women in khaki are also hoping for the best but prepared for the worst.
