CHANDIGARH: “It is police raj in Punjab. The police is perpetuating violence in the state”, was the unanimous sentiment echoed at a meeting or administrative secretaries of the state held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Tejendra Khanna, early last week,

The administrative secretaries including financial commissioners were surprised when the Chief Secretary sought their views on the Punjab problem at the weekly meeting held on Monday last. Many of them held that no one had ever considered it necessary” to solicit their views on the problems facing the state. Never before had such an issue figured at such a meeting.

The possible provocation for the Chief Secretary to seek views of the administration was probably his last visit to Jalandhar where people complained against police excesses, including fake encounters. He wanted the views of the secretaries in reference to the complaints against police excesses.

After shedding their initial reluctance, most of the secretaries came out with their experiences,

One of the secretaries wanted to know what useful purpose the discussion would serve as everyone was subjugated by the police. He said police dominance was so much that he had his apprehensions that the minutes of the meetings would be recorded at all. The Chief Secretary retorted that since he had taken the initiative to know their viewpoints he would record the minutes also.

Some suggested that the Director-General of Police should have been called to attend the meeting while another secretary suggested that they should be given an opportunity to express their viewpoint on the subject before the Councilmen. The Chief Secretary reportedly agreed to arrange a meeting with the new Governor as and when he joined so that the officers could present their viewpoint about the Punjab problem.

One secretary said it was the police which had a vested interest in getting the elections in the state postponed. He held that it was the police which was perpetuating violence in the state.

Another secretary said the civil servants holding enquiries into complaints of police excesses were afraid of submitting their Reports apprehending danger to their lives,

Other secretaries also narrated their experiences of serving in the field as how powerful the police was becoming in the state.

Normal law, they felt, was being circumvented, No inquests were held into police encounters. One of the secretaries referred to the Pilibhit killings and said even the BJP chief condemned the killings on the plea that the police had no right to kill anyone while he was in police custody. The Punjab govt should have taken a stand and registered a formal protest with the Uuar Pradesh govt.

One secretary remarked that the subjugation of civil servants to the police department was so complete that even one of the former home secretaries of the State used to admit that he was only a “spare wheel,” Another officer remarked that later the Home Secretary became a“ punctured” wheel.

There was a reference made to the manner in which a former Governor was coerced into sub- mission by the police,

Some secretaries wanted that there should be some control on the “award” money. It was mentioned by one of the secretaries that there was a noting on the file that “militants” were killed first and the “award” on their heads was announced subsequently.

There was a feeling among the secretaries that limitless powers should not be given to the police indefinitely. They also wanted that their feelings should be conveyed to the quarters concerned.

Article extracted from this publication >> August 9, 1991