Mentality of those who man Khudengthabi: Targeting an IPS officer

A manifestation of the mentality of the men in uniform who man the Khudengthabi checkpost on the Imphal-Moreh highway. So from branding the ordinary travellers at the said checkpost with a stamp on the hand, like one would while branding a cattle as in the Wild West days, today it is about ‘misbehaving, humiliating, harassing and assaulting’ a lady IPS officer while she was on her way back to Imphal from Moreh on January 19. In the middle of the storm is a Rifleman of 12 Assam Rifles who has been named in the FIR lodged by the young IPS officer at Tengnoupal Police Station and not surprisingly and not taking the matter lightly, DGP LM Khaute informed the media that the State police has got in touch with the Assam Rifles authority over the matter and what happens next is anyone’s guess. The IPS Officers Association, Manipur Chapter too has come out strongly against the conduct of the said Rifleman of the Assam Rifles and like the true ‘gentleman’ that the Association is, it has called for ensuring speedy ‘internal disciplinary’ proceedings. This is what is significant to note. No beating the chest in a war cry, no demand but in coming out with this statement, the IPS Officers’ Association has reiterated that it believes in the internal disciplinary proceedings of the oldest paramilitary force in the country. This is a cue which the Assam Rifles authority can and should take from the IPS Officers’ Association and see what it can and should do to rein in its erring jawans who more often than not are known to push their way through uncouthly. The interesting point is, if a young lady IPS officer can be subjected to such humiliation, how about the thousands of other citizens who pass through Khudengthabi check post daily ?
People in uniform. It was only a few days back that an Assistant Sub-Inspector of the State police was caught on camera thrashing a truck driver on the Imphal-Dimapur highway at Kangpokpi in full public view. That this happened on January 14, a day observed as Drivers’ Day all across the State only made the incident all that more unacceptable. The State Government did respond promptly putting the said ASI on suspension and the Transporters and Drivers Council too reacted immediately and demanded that the said police official be terminated from service. Two ugly incidents and while the latter case was something which fell within the purview of the State Government to act, the character of the Assam Rifles authority will be known by how they respond to the Khudengthabi incident. The interesting question here is whether the Assam Rifles authority will co-operate with the line of action initiated by Tengnoupal police as per the FIR lodged there. It also remains to be seen how the many civil society organisations in Manipur respond to the Khudengthabi incident. How the case proceeds remains to be seen, but perhaps this is the time for the higher ups of the Assam Rifles to teach their subordinates  to respect the people. It is this sense of impunity which can be said to have given the said Rifleman of the Assam Rifles to act so brazenly with a lady IPS officer and this is something which cannot be acceptable in any part of the civilised world.