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An -V.Vaikunth |
To Indian Policing Challenge & Response
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An -V.Vaikunth |
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Chapter Nos. |
CONTENTS |
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In the chapter titled ‘ My Formative Years’, the Author apart from narrating his school and collegiate education and his stint in teaching has taken care to mention his interaction with the distinguished Indian
Missile Scientist Bharat Ratna Dr. APJ Abdulkalam.
The Chapter ‘The Skeleton Spoke’, deals with the Author’s efforts to investigate into a murder case building up the case from a mere skeleton which he had unearthed. He has also mentioned about the greatness of Mr. Kamaraj and his exposure to the ground realities of our political system resulting in his being exiled to a forest area to command a para military force in the Himalayas.
Anti-Hindi sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu have been highlighted in
this Chapter.
The chapter titled ‘ In the laps of the Himalayas’, the author has given an account of his tenure as a Commanding Officer of Paramilitary Force in the Himalayan region ( Arunachal Pradesh ) bordering China and his interaction with Mrs. Indira Gandhi
-the then Prime Minister
.
‘ The Humanism and broad mindedness of Anna (Late Mr. C N Anna Durai) has been highlighted in this chapter titled ‘Anna – the Humanist – a legend’. The author has also narrated the strategies he had evolved to deal with the Labour unrest in Neyveli and the campus unrest by the students of Annamalai University.
The controversies surrounding the sudden appearance of Lord Vinayaka’s idol in the land abutting Mambalam Police Station and how the author solved it by scientific methods which drew effusive appreciation from elder statesman Rajaji, has been highlighted in the chapter ‘ Thus spoke Vinayaka’ Chapter – 7. In this chapter he has again given a candid account of the sordid political system as it existed in 1971 resulting in the author being eased out of the Chennai City Police after 1971 elections - the reward he got for maintaining Law and Order in a fair and impartial manner! The peculiar situation cutting across political lines in Coimbatore District has been vividly described
in
this
Chapter
In the chapter titled ‘ The Crisis on Food Front’ during early 70’s, the author discusses the firm steps he took to curb smuggling and hoarding of food grains.
The policing problems in Tirunelveli Dist are unique in nature – casteism playing a dominant role. This has been highlighted in the chapter titled ‘ Emergency and its Aftermath’
How the police can play a good Samaritan role during situations involving Flood and Cyclone are narrated in the chapter titled ‘ The Fury - of the people and Nature’
Home Guards is an auxiliary police force and hence needs to be galvanized as a bridge between the police and the public. This has been highlighted in the chapter on Home Guards. In this chapter again, the author has taken pains to explain the circumstances under which he was posted thrice to Home Guards – considered to be an unimportant post and how he converted these postings into opportunities for bringing out the best in himself wining the President’s Distinguished Service Medal for Home Guards and Civil Defence - the only Police Officer in the country to have won this medal. This character in the author
which he has discussed in this chapter relating to Home Guards among other things would alone amply demonstrate the aptness of the title of the book itself.
At a curtain raiser programme at Doordarshan kendra, Chennai on the eve of IX .All Home Guards and the Civil Defence Professional and Sports Meet -1983.
Civil Defence Demonstration in action-1983.
The author Organising a rescue training programme
At the state Flood control center-1986.
Being decorated with president's Distinguished service Medal for home guards and civil defence at the Rajarathnam stadium by His Excellency the Governor of Tamilnadu Mr.Khurana-1984.
The entire gamut of prohibition policy of MGR’s regime has been graphically analysed in the chapter ‘ Law is stringent – but the policy is liberal’.
The author’s exposure in managing a Public Sector Undertaking as M D of the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation and his success story thereon has been detailed in Chapter – 14
His work as IG – Vigilance – Electricity Board – a posting directly as a result of intrigues of certain colleagues and how he converted even that as a success story has been described vividly in the chapter relating to this.
‘The other end of the Tunnel’ – narrates the author’s rewarding experience as IG of the Prison Administration at the end of which he got another President’s Distinguished Service Medal.
System based recruitment to police with extensive use of computer programs resulting in a fool proof
recruitment in the police force is being narrated in a great detail in the chapter ‘ Recruitment – my tryst with history’ – an apt description of the efforts of the author to streamline the recruitment procedure because this has won for him and the then Government acclaim from the public and media alike.
Getting decorated with president's police medal for distinguished service by his Excellence, the governor of Tamil Nadu Mr.Bhishma Narain Singh-1991.
With Miss Jayalalitha Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in a social function as DGP, Recruitment Board-1992.
Grateful parents of the boys who were recruited as constables, purely on merit, swarming the author at the inauguration of the Training Camp for the recruits at Palani.
At Re-Union Seminar of the 1961 batch officers-1991.
Could we have saved Rajiv Gandhi? The author has raised this question and given the answer himself in this chapter.
The unearthing by the author of an International racket of smugglers of antique idols stolen from the temples of Tamilnadu has been vividly described in the chapter ‘ In search of the missing idols’
The author has also been credited with creating a Greater Madras Metropolitan Policing System which is a result of his extensive study of such system all over the world. This has been highlighted in
this chapter.
The author’s experience as the Commissioner of Police, Chennai City and later as chief of Police, Tamil Nadu and his interaction with the then Chief Minister Dr. J Jayalalithaa has been described in the subsequent chapters.
At a public function to felicitate the author on the excellent arrangements made during the consecration ceremony of the Madurai Meenatchi Amman Temple.
The author is seen at a function when Chife Minister Jayalalitha gives away cash grant to the family of a constable who died in harness.
These include the episodes relating to the bomb blast
at the Film Director Mani Rathnam’s house and that concerning Dr. Subramaniam Swamy.
The exercise in futility as the author would describe, the detention of
Sri Lankas under a dubious legal cover leading to their
tunneling their way to freedom in August 1995 has been vividly described in the chapter - ' They
tunneled their way to Freedom and History'. In this chapter the author has also exposed the faulty policies of both the State and the Central Governments in regard to the Sri Lankan ethnic issue.
The author giving on the spot instructions to the officers to contain violence during the Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations in Triplicane, Chennai-1995.
The pomp and pageantry of the marriage of Dr. J Jayalalithaa's foster son, the Mannargudi factor namely the factors involving the coterie surrounding Jayalalithaa has been discussed in the subsequent chapters.
In the end, the author concludes the book with a fervent plea to those in the service in the force that they still have promises to keep and miles to go before they go to sleep - meaning that the police should constantly strive towards keeping up their image in terms of both being human and modern in their approach and outlook.
The author with the President Dr.Sankar Dayal Sharma at the conclusion of the conference of directors general of police at New Delhi in 1995. the Presidents was hosting a tea for the delegates of the conference.