Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said for a successful democracy, it was vital to protect freedom of expression and individual liberty and this could not be ensured if the law and order was not good enough.
Stating that some sort of campaign was going on to malign the image of the police by exaggerating a few untoward incidents and not highlighting their good deeds, he asked the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to take initiatives for improving police image. Mr. Shah said the good work and sacrifices of policemen should be highlighted and recognised. He said over 35,000 policemen had sacrificed their lives since Independence.
Speaking at the 51st Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) Raising Day celebrations, Mr. Shah said democracy was not just about elections and government formation. Its objective was to ensure that the 130 crore countrymen were able to avail themselves of opportunities in accordance with their abilities to progress. The cumulative result would lead to the national development.
Olympic champion felicitated
The Home Minister also felicitated felicitated Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu, who has been appointed as Additional SP in Manipur.
Mr. Shah highlighted the importance of the ‘beat’ system of policing, which instilled a sense of security among the common man. He said there was a need to revitalise it through application of technology. He said law and order management was the job of the police and the security forces, and the BPR&D had worked on updating and improving them from time to time.
Cyber offences
The Home Minister identified challenges like cyber offences, drone attacks, drug smuggling and ‘hawala’ syndicates, which he said needed to be addressed by the BRP&D by adopting best practices and expediting their implementation. There should be an institutionalised system to determine its effectiveness on the ground.
Mr. Shah also stressed on the requirement for the organisation to focus on skill-upgrade and modernisation in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) that guarded the borders. If required, the Centre would add the CAPF to the BRP&D charter.
