Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
It is a shame that a man who misuses his position to instigate the Police Chief of every State to go against his State Government is holding the Home portfolio in the union cabinet of India.
To charge the Police with emotional motive against the State Governments, Home Minister of India P.Chidambaram has calculatedly loaded their psyche with a venomous idea on September 15 that they “have been reduced to footballs, to be kicked here and there, from one post to another” by the peoples in power in the States.
“I ask you to search your hearts and answer the question, what is the average length of tenure of a district superintendent of police? What is the average length of tenure of a station house officer? Why do you remain silent when arbitrary postings and transfers are made by the State Governments?” He has tried to provoke them with these words.
He has sans qualms underlined that in interest of the peoples that they are “duty-bound to protect” they should revolt. “Is it not your duty, as the head of the State Police, to raise your voice not only on behalf of your officers but also on behalf of the people that you are duty-bound to protect?”
Is it becoming of the Union Home Minister to instigate Police Chiefs of the States against their respective Governments with such sort of words? If Chidambaram has felt that Police personnel are used by the State Governments as “footballs” he should have taken up the matter with the Chief Ministers and should have done the desired service to the Police by formulating and centrally enforcing a posting policy for the Police. But he has never done it. Instead, he has used the Intelligence Bureau to convey a conference of Directors General of Police and Inspectors General of Police and deliberately injected this venom into their psyche against the State Governments!
To any patriotic Indian, Chidambaram’s deliberation is a deliberate design against national integration and Center-State relationship. A man, who holds Home portfolio of Indian Union has no legitimate right to play the mischief he has played. He deserves dismissal forthwith from the union cabinet for having instigated IPS officers against their respective State Governments.
Will the Prime Minister please react?