The
Indian Police Service, much like the Indian Administrative Service, by
virtue of its all-India
character has become an important element and, even means, of national
unity and
integration. This was, indeed, the motive of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel when
he had the
formation of the IPS
approved at a meeting of Chief Ministers soon after Independence.
His exhortation to the police officers in 1950 is worth recalling:
“You
are (therefore) writing the first chapter of the history of India. So you
should write it in a manner that the future generations may remember you
with respect and affection May
God give you power and all that is required to build our country or
Province in a manner
which may bring honor and credit to you all"
Today,
when the Indian Police Service
personnel and other policemen, face the uneven and
unprofessional pressures of democracy on their functioning, it is good for
their morale
to remind themselves, over and over again, of what Sardar Patel had given
as an ideal
to adopt -
"Do
nothing that will bring dishonor to the uniform that you wear. Do nothing
that may bring
discredit to the flag that you salute; and it is upon your loyalty, upon
your devotion to
duty, upon your sincerity and upon your honesty that the reputation of the
administration
will depend"
It
is essentially the pursuit of these noble aims, despite many a hurdle and
hardship, that has created a bond of mutual regard and friendship amongst
the members of the IPS. Not just
amongst the officers, but their families too. And, further strengthened by
the fact that many have to serve the motherland in areas far from
their allotted state cadres and in unfriendly,
often highly risk-prone environments alongside colleagues from other
police formations.
Unlike many countries, India can claim to have a National Police Force, despite
each state having its own police force and Department, because the IPS
keeps them together in
a tangible and highly practical manner. There is a total unity of will and
action in every national crisis
The
coming together of the senior retired IPS officers in the Association of
Retired Indian Police
Service Officers is an extension of the espirit-de-corps amongst police
officers. It represents
a deeply-felt urge to maintain the fraternal links of official and social association
while in service and to keep alive even on retirement the spirit of
helping each
other, a spirit which prevails in the police forces all over the country
On
superannuation, the Is.G. and Ds.G of Police are blessed with physical
fitness and mental
alertness. The Association has been arranging lectures by scholars,
politicians, journalists
and administrators so as to get briefed on critical issues confronting
India and its
masses and. in turn, to expose the experts to the members’ views based
on personal knowledge
and depth of experience. The interaction has proved rewarding for both. Informal
discussions on issues of deep concern to India are also arranged from time
to time
in smaller groups. The Association will inevitably add to its social
activities, and contribute
its intellectual effort, presently being projected through existing
think-tanks, by
having one of its own and by holding seminars on relevant topics of the
day. There is so much talent amongst the members, that it cannot be
hidden under a bushel.
The
web-site that is being inaugurated will provide information about the
Association and its
programme of activities and the many intellectual and social development
efforts that its
members are making individually. They have retired from service, true, but
they are very
much alive in contributing to the public debate on issues of importance in
politics, security,
national integration and, of course, on policing and intelligence through
the media. Quite a few are running social development programmes and
magazines and journals. The web-site will disseminate information about
all this so as to bring us all closer
together and direct our energies to social and national purposes. The
web-site today is just the beginning of many more ideas to follow.
