Indian Police- A DGP Remembers

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The book Indian Police-A DGP Remembers presents a detailed analysis of the problems faced in a wide-range of jobs, highlighting the problems faced by an upright police officer. It will be of value not only to police officers but also to students of politics, public administration and management.
The book starts with the environment in which the author was brought up, leading to the early years in service working in the North-East initially as a tribal administrator and later commanding a para military battallion in Naga Hills Tuensang area. His exposure to public sector management sufficiently highlights the difficulties of a civil servant working in a highly political environment. The job of a Commissioner of Police in the volatile seventies with its mixture of law and order, student and political problems will be of interest to students of administration and politics. The book further deals with his exposure to management practices in a prestigious science organization, his experiences in public sector management and working in one of India's premier police organizations -The CRPF. The changes he tried to bring about in prison management has also been highlighted.
The position of the D.G.P. of a state is not exactly a bed of roses. In Part II of the book, the problems faced by a police chief has been brought to focus.
The need to have transformational leaders to lead the police organizations towards the next millennium, the major problem areas, the vigilance required to strengthen the security environment into India are well presented. The book ends. with the exposition of macro-level police problems.

C. Subramaniam retired in 1993 as the Director-General of Police in Kerala. Joining the Indian Police Service in 1958, he had varied experience in the Central and State Governments and in public sector management. His experience ranged from the travails of a police officer in the districts, to fighting terrorism in the North-East, working in the Punjab at the height of terrorist activities in the state, taking part in the India peace keeping operations in Sri Lanka and in public sector management.
An outstanding police officer, he has been well decorated and this includes the Prime Minister's Police Medal for meritorious service in 1979 and the President's Police Medal for distinguished service in 1986. He is a keen student of politics, public admini stration and management.

The police service is not held in high regard by the public. Owing to the nature of its functions it is perceived to be a force lacking in moral character. This might be due to the misdoings of individual officers and also because the police force has not been able to publicise its performances. The army or the world of science have strong lobbies to support their cause. This is not so in the case of the police. There is much that can be done by professional leadership to build up the image of the police establishment.
It was the glamour of the police force that led me into it in the first instance. I was in awe of the well-known police officers in Bombay who were constantly in the news with their daring exploits. As one who loved outdoor life greatly. it was my desire, given the opportunity, to emulate them. In the Bombay academic environs, Government service was not particularly attractive. Bombay was, indeed, a city of gold: the students were ambitious and for them this was equated with building a personal fortune.
I must consider myself fortunate to have had within. the span of a service lifetime, a wealth of varied experiences. in different spheres of Government, Central and State, in public sector organisations, and in a major scientific institution. Each experience was different from the other. It is the breadth and variety of experience that ultimately leads to understanding life's problems in their true perspective.
It is natural in a long official career to be influenced by the personalities of people with whom you have interacted. Mt. Abu revives in me pleasant memories and the impact of the Central Police Training College, my alma-mater, had on my personality. We were trained by no less a person than Mr. G.K. Handoo, a leader of men.