Right from the British days the police have been more abused than appreciated for the hard work they put in. As a retired assistant commissioner of police I am stating a few of my experiences.
In February 1997 I was on leave for my elder daughter Homai’s wedding. The aadarni ceremony was being performed in the hall when at about 11.30 hours my boss, the deputy commissioner of police, traffic, telephoned to request me to go to a movie star’s bungalow where his daughter’s wedding was taking place as many VVIPs (very, very important people) and a very huge crowd was expected. I therefore left my family ceremony and proceeded to Juhu. I noticed an endless stream of visitors arriving and leaving the venue. All the police officers and men on duty had to work hard till past midnight and I missed my daughter’s aadarni ceremony.
Sam Patel: selfless commitment
Whilst attached to the State Bureau of Investigation of the Crime Investigation Department, Maharashtra, I was always assigned for fuel checking and anti-sabotage duties of the aircraft at the Santa Cruz international airport from which VVIPs travelled. On two occasions messages were received to go for fuel checking duty even though I was on leave. I attended to these duties, setting aside my personal work. I spoke to my boss telling him that this was the second time I had been called for fuel checking duty while on leave. He immediately apologized and acknowledged that it was his mistake.
On several occasions I have taken charge of unclaimed bodies and personally taken them to the morgue and sometimes even to the cemetery for final disposal.
I received a letter from the Welfare Association of Ex-Police Officers of Maharashtra, dated January 10, 2017 in which the Parsi community has been praised, along with me. I quote: "The real Parsi virtues in you were distinctly displayed in your response to every person in distress who approached you during your entire length of service, including during the most volatile communal riots of 1969 in Bombay, 1971 in Bhiwandi and 1993 in Jogeshwari. You answered every call to end a potentially deadly situation knowing well that there was no guarantee of safe return to your home. Your selfless commitment to public safety was distinctly visible not only in your day-to-day conduct but also when you defused a bomb which could have killed the chief minister of Maharashtra and accompanying policemen and public. You placed the community that you served above your family.”
A poem in Marathi was written by a colleague for the occasion, about the deep sense of duty police personnel feel. Titled Police, translated into English, it reads: "Good man, at least once/ Be a policeman./ Ignoring one’s own world,/ Sit down and judge for others/ Without serving your parents in the hospital,/ Let’s serve the accused…
"By ignoring your own children,/ Just play with other people’s children understanding your own children/ By finding lost children./ Without going to the funeral of your own relatives, / Try last rites of a stranger at your own cost.
"Ignoring your own health,/ Get medical check-up of the accused and take care of his health,/ Keep delaying yourself on the road so that others can eat on time,/ And let you reduce your own physical capacity by eating unhealthy.
"Do 24 hours duty and be reprimanded by your superiors/ No matter how much you do and deal with the discontent of people/ Even if there is controversy in your own house, settle the discord in other’s house,/ Worry about everybody except your own family/ Oh, good man, at least once/ Be a policeman.” SAM D. PATEL
Assistant Commissioner of Police (retd)