CHANDIGARH: The Director General of Punjab Police K PS Gill has been shifted to Delhi as Director General of Central Reserve Police Force and his place has been given to the present Additional Director General D.S. Mangat.
The Government of India evidently overcame its dilemma in transferring Gill from Punjab and asserted its authority after it became known that Gill was encouraging district police chiefs in Punjab to support him stay put by threatening that they too would leave their posts as soon as Gill was sacked.
There add the earlier story on KPS by suitably modifying it… delete the last para of the story.
Earlier seven of the 16 district police chiefs in Punjab had let it be known to the Shekhar government that they would quit their posts in the event of the director general of Punjab police K.P.S. Gill being sacked.
‘The threat had been conveyed through a Hindu newsman friendly to the police and published by The Tribune on its front page. What amounts to a virtual notice of mutiny comes in the wake of reports that Delhi is contemplating a change in Punjab. A similar threat was issued by several district police heads some time ago to foil a central plan to ease out Gill.
In a fresh move to stall the transfer the police sources at Amritsar have produced a frightening picture of the police morale which, they bemoaned, had suffered a further setback with the Central and State administrations buckling in under militant pressure on the Switchover to Punjabi and on the code for All India Radio, Doordarshan and the Press.
It is pointed out that the government’s surrender to the militants has followed certain developments within the police force in the more sensitive border districts where most police officers are demoralised and are eager to leave for postings outside the State.
For instance, it is revealed, an S.P. level officer now posted in Delhi refused an offer to be made S.P. (Operations) at Tarn Taran to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the present incumbent who was killed at the hands of militants recently. Another S.P. level officer posted at Tarn Taran has proceeded on long leave preparatory to transfer after his children were kidnapped by militants.
Despondency at the senior levels is also affecting the morale of the force at the lower levels. For instance, in Amnitsar police district alone 30 head constables and constables got discharge during the past one month, Most of these men had put in less than two years in service. Those who are not getting discharge readily are said to be absenting themselves from their posts, the district police chief started proceedings against about 100 such absentees in the recent past.
The central government evidently has been put by the media reports on police unrest on the horns of a dilemma. If it removes K.P.S. Gill it faces further demoralisation among the force and if it does not change him in the government’s authority will stand severely curtailed.
The state of affairs in the more disturbed districts such as Tarn Taran, Majitha and Batala is even more alarming. Officers apprehend that those seeking discharge may grow in number in the weeks to come,
Evidently, the Army has been deployed by the Chander Shekhar government in the border districts as much due to these disturbing Reports as to its offensive intentions. The aim mainly was to instill a sense of confidence in the police force in the first instance.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 21, 1990
