On way to demo(n)cracy

VS Chaudhri

THE incident of slapping a District Magistrate, tearing his clothes and making him flee in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, is most unfortunate and deplorable. It is an alarming situation when there is no fear of law. What are things coming to? All sensitive people should break television sets, like citizens of Pakistan often do when their team loses a cricket match against ‘archenemy’ India. This had to happen someday, it has. And such incidents will continue to take place in the future too, the way things are moving in this country. Chaos looms.

I am reminded of an incident which was narrated by Bhagwan Singh Rosha, IG, Punjab, in the year 1965. The incident related to his career during the pre-Independence and pre-Partition days, when he was posted as an Inspector in Multan (now in Pakistan).

I was under training as a PCS officer. Bhagwan Singh Rosha was invited to deliver a talk on law and order to the trainees. He told us about the incident then. He was camping in a village along with two constables. He learnt that a tehsil peon had come to the village for the recovery of land revenue, but some villagers misbehaved with him. He verified the facts which were found to be true. He then immediately ordered an announcement to be made on the beat of a drum that the village would be set on fire at night and that people had the option to leave the village with their cattle. That night, he actually set the village on fire. 

When he returned to the headquarters on the third day, the District Magistrate and the SP, both of British origin, were already present in his office. They congratulated him on his bold decision and prompt action.

Can one take such a step today? No, he said. And why? “Because we are now independent; because we are now a democracy.”

But this does not mean that the government should give a long rope to rioters, lawbreakers and mischief-makers. This does not mean that hooligans should be made martyrs. This does not mean that people should be allowed the liberty of taking the law into their own hands. If the DM is not safe, who else is! 

I, however, do not mean to suggest that the government should be ruthless and indiscriminate in the use of force. Section 144, CrPC, has become redundant. No action is taken on its breach. There should be some fear of authority, without which we are certain to head towards anarchy.