The Prime Minister mooted the idea of a common uniform for the state police forces across the country and said that this would give a common identity to all the police forces. He was, however, cautious to say that this was only a “suggestion”. There could be no objection to the suggestion; it is only a question of feasibility.
We have today more than three million police and CAPF personnel in the country. Ensuring production of khaki of exactly the same shade and texture for such a large number of personnel would require careful examination. However, more important than what the policemen wear is what they do and how they perform.
In this context, the Prime Minister had come out in 2014 with the brilliant concept of SMART police – police which would be strict and sensitivealert and accountable, reliable and responsive, techno-savvy and trained. The concept needs to be resurrected and implemented in all sincerity.
Sartorial uniformity would be a cosmetic change. It would mean ‘One Nation, One Uniform’, but that would be a small step. Presently, several state governments have formulated different Police Acts for their respective regions. What the country actually needs is ‘One Nation, One Police’. There should be a Model Police Act which should be adopted by all the states with such minor changes as may be necessary to suit local conditions.
The Prime Minister has shown the capacity to take hard decisions. It is time that he took some bold initiatives on the police and law and order front.
(The author was formerly Director General of Border Security Force and also DGP UP and DGP Assam. He tweets at @singh_praksh. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)