‘To be a successful police officer be a bit early to office; Remain a bit late in office’.

When does Rashness Happen?

Shri Amalraj IPS | @ MCC Today

Road Safety Awareness Programme

“Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others,” said Otto von Bismarck, the Iron Chancellor and founder of Modern Germany.

Should we remain a fool to learn that an accident can happen to us?

asked Mr. Amalraj, IPS, Commissioner of Police, Tambaram, while addressing NSS Volunteers during the Road Safety Awareness Programme in the Chemistry Seminar Hall today.

He added saying –

You are the centre of Tambaram. In the year 2022, we had 1720 road accidents.

Last year we had 1986 accidents. That means, almost 2000 accidents take place every year, on an average of three to four accidents per day.

Accidents can happen to any of us. There is no partiality when it comes to accidents. We are not batman to escape all accidents. Anybody can get injured.

Last year 19 college students died in road accidents. 56 were injured. Who are those College students?

They're not unknown to us. They're not disposable commodities. Luckily we survived road accidents.

What are the types of vehicles that meet with accidents?

273 two-wheeler riders died in road accidents out of the 593.

10 fatal accidents on bicycle, while 164 pedestrian deaths were reported.

Other vehicles like buses and vans are less in number.

Two-wheeler riders and pedestrians are prone to accidents.

1432 people were injured while riding 2 wheelers.

581 road users were injured last year.

Accidents take place at all times. There’s no hard and fast rule on that aspect.

However, the maximum accidents happen not during midnight, but from 2 to 4 pm, in the afternoon.

121 accidents took place between 1 and 2 pm.

As regards the roads prone to accidents – National Highways are prone to most of the accidents.

Road safety is a life science in which we learn from the experience of others.

The easiest way to prevent accidents is to follow the basic rules of road safety at every stage, like, wearing helmet, stopping at the red light, give way for pedestrian crossing, etc,

Don’t follow the rules just because someone is watching you or the police might impose a fine on you. Sometimes, police personnel may not be on the roads at all.

So my dear students, always make it a point to stick to the rules.

When does rashness happen?

Rashness happens only when you’re late. So you should remember to start early.

By habit you should make it a point to start a bit early.

In the police force, we have a saying –

‘To be a successful police officer be a bit early to office. Remain a bit late in office’.

Never rush.

We used to have periodic meetings in the Marina office. Some officers always come well in advance.

For them it’s become a habit. When the Chief Minister calls for a meeting, you’re there on time. Once you make it a daily routine, it becomes part of your habit.

80% of the work that we do, happens because of our habit: be it the dress we wear, the food we eat, or the friends with whom we talk, etc.

Similarly, the habit of being early a bit always helps in preventing accidents.

To catch a bus, be there a bit in advance. Tell this to your friends and relatives as well.

The beauty of life is not just winning. It’s about following rules.

Winning is always there. You will always win. Win depends on your opponent. If your opponent is a child, you win easily. At the same time, if your opponent is tougher than you, then it’s quite a task to win!  

So what matters is, follow the rules and win. When you write an exam, no one is watching, still you follow the rules. That's integrity. Winning that way, gives you credibility and integrity.

In China, they say it's not the result that counts, but the journey. Getting the mark sheet is immaterial. The three-year journey will stand with you. The journey makes it memorable!

Any challenge that you have in life, always make sure that you stick to the rules. If so, nobody can question you in your times of crisis.

When we die, people forget. We becomes statistics. Let’s not become the cause to add up to the statistics. If life is taken away, we become statistics!

So to sum up what I’ve said –

1. Follow rules always

2. Be a bit early by habit on a regular basis.

3. Lead by example. Be a perfectionist.

The Principal and Secretary of Madras Christian College, Dr. P. Wilson welcomed the gathering and spoke on the importance of road safety.

The programme was followed by the Road Safety Awareness Rally which was inaugurated by our Principal and the Commissioner of Police Mr. Amalraj IPS.

Volunteers of NSS participated in the rally in large numbers, carrying placards, posters and banners.

The Road Safety Awareness Programme was organised by the Deanery of Student Affairs, in association with Department of Social Work (Aided) and National Service Scheme, MCC. Prof. Daniel and team gave a wonderful rendition of the Tamizh Thaai Valzhthu.

Dr. Huldah Samuel, Dean of Women Students did an excellent compering of the programme.

The rally began near the infirmary and congregated near the Bell Tower. Dr. Sudarshan, Prof. Tony Thomas were coordinators of the programme, along with this blogger. 😊

Father Nehru Assures! Daughter Indira Amends!!

Seshan Makes Voter ID Mandatory for Future Elections

#memoriesfromdiaries #newspaperinlearning

30th January 1994

When the renowned Chinese traveller Hiuan Tsang (in the 6th Century A.D). passed through Poonch, he recorded that, Poonch was famous for graphics, fine tea, and good horses. 

In 1947, however, during the partition, a few parts of this blessed land of Poonch went under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, while the rest became a constituent of Rajouri Poonch district. Pakistan has been illegally firing on the borders across Poonch ever since!

Now for FOUR EPIC-al news of the day – 30th January 1994 - exclusively from my personal diary entry, for us all - 

Firstly, when T N Seshan, [MCC-ian and] Chief Election Commissioner announced that identity cards would be compulsory for all elections held on or after January 1, 1995, it was a rude jolt and a bolt from the blue for all and sundry!

Indeed, Photo identity cards became a reality in 1993, during his tenure, with the avowed aim of ‘completely rooting out the evil’ of bogus voters, he had remarked.

This was part of the Election Management System, through which the EPIC – Electors Photo Identity Card was made popular amongst the masses.  

The same politicians who had critiqued and opposed Seshan’s idea, now meekly obliged him! Very soon, a distant dream became a possibility and a reality! 

Today, almost every citizen of the nation proudly sports their EPIC on them!

Really EPIC-al!

Secondly, yet another EPIC agreement was clinched today between Mongolia and Russia! Their border agreement! The Mongolia – Russia International Border Agreement was signed today between the two countries. The boundary is said to be the third longest border between Russia and another country, after the Kazakhstan–Russia border and the China–Russia border.

Thirdly, yet another EPICAL launch by Japan was announced today. Japan said that it intends to launch their first major rocket built without reliance on American technology on 1st February 1994. This launch was the first of a series of five launches by 1997!

Finally, the anti-Hindi-imposition agitations in Tamil Nadu that started way back in 1937, gradually gained momentum all over Tamil Nadu, reaching alarming or rather EPICal proportions, with political parties riding piggyback on this anti-Hindi wave, busy tarring Hindi letters on nameboards especially in Railway Stations.

As an assurance, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru enacted the Official Languages Act in 1963 to ensure the use of English as an official language even beyond 1965.

Still, there were doubts!

Agitations continued all over Tamil Nadu. On 25th January 1965, a scuffle between agitating students and members of the Congress party sparked a massive unrest and violence in Madurai, that soon spread all over the state.

Very soon, in the year 1967, the DMK managed to capture power in Tamil Nadu, riding on the anti-Hindi wave, and quite interestingly, the Congress party has never come to power in Tamil Nadu ever since!

That very same year, in 1967, as Prime Minister, Ms. Indira Gandhi (who had become India’s first female Prime Minister a year ago in 1966), amended the Official Languages Act to guarantee the indefinite use of Hindi and English as official languages.

One Scandal! Three Parties!!

When Hawala Rocked India & Its Celebrated Politicians

29th January 1996

#memoriesfromdiaries

#newspaperinlearning

Come January-end, and we all had to draw our records, right? Be it Botany or Zoology, we had pages and pages of drawings to be completed on our records, in ‘record’ time! 😊

That’s the entire day for me on this particular day on record mode! 

Coming to the news of the day –

Could you believe a system, by means of which crores of rupees were transferred to another person’s (politician’s) account that was illegally maintained in another country, without any physical movement of cash, whatsoever?

That’s hawala transaction for you!

Three famous political parties including the Congress, the BJP and the JD were involved in the Hawala Scandal, which had a cascading effect on the Indian political scene in the 1990s.

As a fallout of the scandal, seven ministers from the Congress quit their respective posts, BJP’s L. K. Advani resigned as an MP, and Janata Dal President S. R. Bommai had to quit his post as President of his party.

It was at this juncture that Laloo Prasad Yadav took over as the President of the Janata Dal, on this particular day, 29th January 1996.

Cordially Inviting You for the National Conference @ SDNB Vaishnav College ❤️

 

"Neglecting his serious injuries, Col. Nair organized his Soldiers in an Assault line and Charged at the Insurgents"

‘He was seriously injured but did not lose his courage!’

Titbits On President Shankar Dayal Sharma | & Col. Nair

26th January 1994 | The Uniqueness of Dr. Sharma

#memoriesfromdiaries

#newspaperinlearning

Before we get to our diary entry for this particular day, let’s take a brief foray into a few interesting titbits on President Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, an MA in English Literature, and the ninth president of India – who has some unique distinctions to his credit.

Firstly, he had the unique distinction of dealing with four Prime Ministers during his five-year tenure as President of India.

In the last year of his presidency, he had appointed three Prime Ministers!

Secondly, akin to T. N. Seshan, he was very assertive of his Presidential duties.

He had acted tough with the Prime Minister on many occasions, and had even refused to sign last-minute ordinances.

Thirdly, in the early years of our Independence, he was quite instrumental in the merger of the princely Bhopal State with the Union of India, in the years 1948-49!

Finally, when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in May 1991, Sonia Gandhi offered him the post of President of the Congress party and then the post of Prime Minister of India. But Dr. Sharma had refused the offers citing his advanced age and poor health as reasons. It was only then, the very next year he was chosen as the President of India.

Coming back to 26th January 1994 -

Well, ever since India officially became a republic in the year 1950, India has been consistently playing host to the head of state of another country as the State Guest of Honour for Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.

The guest ‘head of state’ is chosen based on rubrics connected with economic, political and other strategic interests.

This particular year – 1994 – on the occasion of our Republic Day – The Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Goh Chok Tong, was the Guest of Honour.

[This was indeed the beginning of a long journey of cooperation and friendship between the two countries. The PM of India Mr. Rao, followed suit by visiting Singapore in September of the same year].

On the occasion of the Republic Day Ceremony on 26th January 1994, the President of India Mr. Shankar Dayal Sharma honoured Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair with the highest peace award – the Ashoka Chakra Award for his courage.

According to reports –

Colonel Neelakantan Jayachandran Nair was an outstanding and decorated officer of the Indian Army. He was born in 1951 in Ernakulam district, Kerala. He had his schooling from Sainik School, Kazhakootam, Kerala.

Colonel Nair’s career in the Indian Army spanned more than two decades, during which he had held various command and as well as staff appointments.

In December 1993, Col Nair was leading an advance platoon in Nagaland, when they were trapped by about one hundred insurgents. The irresistible fire from automatic weapons killed 13 jawans and 1 Junior Commissioned officer on the spot.

He too was seriously injured in the incident but did not lose his courage nor was unnerved. Neglecting his serious injuries, he organized his soldiers in an assault line and charged at the insurgents.

Insurgents broke ranks and ran away but Col Nair sacrificed his life in this operation. For his courage and gallantry he was awarded the Ashoka Chakra posthumously in 1994.

And on the International News, the Clinton controversy refuses to die down, with India’s vituperative rhetoric adding fuel to the fire. Even the opposition party then - the BJP had voiced its strongest condemnation of Bill Clinton’s interference in the internal affairs of India.

The main headline for today, by the President of India, on his Republic Day Address, titled, ‘India will brook no Interference’ is tangible proof to the condemnation!

Photo & News on Col. Nair & President of India: thankyouindianarmydotcom & academicacceleratordotcom

Diana Screams!

The Choli Song Controversy, Hindi Defacement & Diana

#memoriesfromdiaries #newspaperinlearning

25th January 1994

Three newsworthy events were there on this particular day’s newspapers!

First of all –

Dubbed to be a Hindi song with vulgar lyrics, the number Choli ke Peeche was considered taboo at a time and age when speaking about sex and sexuality was considered anathema!

The song had released just a few weeks ago, on 1st January 1994, to mixed reactions from cultural critics and the general lay!

It was in this backdrop that an MLA was suspended in Calcutta for singing this ‘Choli’ song.

Secondly,

This was a moment in the history of Tamil Nadu, when all the major political parties were up against the imposition of Hindi in the State. 

It was in the wake of this political stand, that DMK Chief Mr. Karunanidhi had asked his party cadres to deface Hindi letters on signages all across the state.

The timing was significant! 25th January! 

Since, it was on 26th January 1950, on the occasion of our Republic Day, that Hindi became the official language of India (Although, on 14th September 1949, Hindi was adopted as the official language of the Union of India - the Indian constitution, in 1950, had declared Hindi in Devanagari script to be the official language of the union).

It was also declared that, unless Parliament decided otherwise, the use of English for official purposes was to cease 15 years after the constitution came into effect, that is, on 26 January 1965!

Remember R. K. Narayan’s ‘Fifteen Years’? 😊

Well, this led to a great crisis and confusion among the non-Hindi-speaking people of India. Hence Parliament enacted the Official Languages Act, 1963, which provided for the continued use of English for official purposes along with Hindi, even after the year 1965.

Also, students in Tamil Nadu were faced with a crisis. Their mother tongue was Tamil, and English was their medium of instruction in schools and colleges across the State.

Now they would have to face the central government-related exams in a language unbeknownst to them! One added reason for protests against Hindi imposition.

Since protest on 26th January would mean dishonouring the Nation, a few prominent political parties, led by the DMK, gave a call for defacing Hindi all over Tamil Nadu - one day earlier - on 25th January. 

Students were seen painting graffiti and pasting posters all over cities, towns and villages, with slogans that read, ‘Hindi never! English ever! Down with Hindi’, etc.

One reason why, many of us (including me) 😊 had to learn Hindi at the Hindi Prachar Sabha, since Hindi was not taught in schools back then!

Finally,

Diana screams at photographers!

A rather strange presentiment foretelling her impending death at the hands of the same photographers just a few years later! ☹

Princess Diana – dubbed the ‘most hunted person of the modern age’, was also called the ‘most photographed person’, back then!

One reason why her elder son Prince William is allergic to any media coverage of him or his family members.

What he once said in her interview, could really move our hearts.

He said that the paparazzi would spit on her (Princess Diana) to get her reaction for it!

How shameful an act!

William adds,

If you are the Princess of Wales and you're a mother, I don’t believe being chased by 30 guys on motorbikes who block your path, who spit at you to get a reaction from you… and make a woman cry in public to get a photograph, I don't believe that is appropriate.

Most of the time his mother cried, because of press intrusion into her private life,

he adds.

Right from the time when news of her engagement to Prince Charles was confirmed, Diana was followed by the paparazzi, until the time they hunted her down to her death!

In a memoir titled, Dicing With Di: The Amazing Adventures of Britain’s Royal Chasers, Harvey and his paparazzi partner Saunders, recollect on how they hunted Diana for those sensational ‘million dollar’ clicks of the Princess in March 1994.

Mark Saunders and Glenn Harvey were sipping coffee in Kensington, west London.

The pair had spent the day attempting to photograph the most famous woman in the world, without success.

Then Harvey’s cell rang; Princess Diana had been spotted!

Seconds later both of them were in hot pursuit of the Princess, through red lights, driving down the wrong side of a traffic island and accelerating in front of trucks, until the Princess began turning into the entrance of Kensington Palace.

Harvey – leaping out from the vehicle, camera in hand, and dives across the bonnet of the car, firing his camera at the Audi as it disappeared from sight.

“Please, please, let that picture be sharp,” he prays.

It was. 

Harvey’s photograph of Diana was then sold to the British tabloid News of the World in an exclusive deal, for a fortune!

Well, Diana ‘screams at’ photographer (as I’ve jotted down in my diary), was something that she had to do on a regular basis, day after day after day, all through her life, to avoid the hunting photographers, up until that dreaded day, just three years later, when she was finally hunted down by the same paparazzi!

Again, this act of ‘screaming at photographers’ could possibly be a premonition or a presentiment on the part of the Princess!

Pic courtesy: Newsweek

PS: You may also want to read a Role Play done by Shruti of II MA English, as Princess Diana, on our past post HERE

Asia's Murder Capital?

Indian Snub for Bill Clinton!

#memoriesfromdiaries #newspaperinlearning

24th January 1994

[This day, 30 years ago, from my personal diary entry]

Five news-worthy events were featured in today’s newspaper.

Firstly, on this particular day, India gave a tough rejoinder and a snub to Bill Clinton for his views on Punjab, calling his remarks unwarranted and uncalled for!

On a parallel front, the following week, angry Sikhs burnt President Clinton’s effigy Tuesday to protest against his remarks on their homeland. 

According to reports, an estimated 250 busloads of pro-government Sikhs brought from Punjab by India’s ruling party estimated by police to number 15,000, were halted by three lines of barricades about a quarter-mile from the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Secondly, India and Bangladesh finally agreed for the repatriation of the Chakmas, in one of the largest settlements of refugees in the world.

The Chakmas who were predominantly Buddhists, faced persecution, and had to flee their homes, when their land was submerged by the Kaptai dam project in the 1960s.

More than 30,000 Chakma refugees, had then sought refuge in Arunachal Pradesh and the numbers grew in the decades to come. Since the All Assam Students Union, amongst a host of other associations protested the growing number of Chakmas, and hence the government decided to repatriate them.

Thirdly, an Editorial column in today’s newspaper described Manila [the Capital of Philippines] as Asia’s Murder Capital. According to reports, there were 3,000 murders and homicides in the first three months of 1996 - nearly double murder rate in the United States.

Fourthly, the National Games of India, [earlier known as the Indian Olympic Games] was being held in Mumbai, from 16th to 25th January 1994.

Finally, CM Jayalalithaa to unveil MGR’s statue in Villuppuram.

To sum up this particular day on the News front –

Six inter-national conflicts featured in today’s newspaper.

1. India-China Parleys on border troops, due to the escalating conflict on both sides.

2. India-Bangladesh conflict over Chakma refugees.

3. India – Pakistan Conflict over killing of ultras and civilians on either side.

4. India – US Conflict over Clinton’s remarks on Punjab.

5. Israel-Palestinian Conflict, on the sidelines of which, Arafat briefed Mubarak.

6. Serbia-Bosnia Conflict, during which Bosnia calls for air strikes against Serbs.

News sourced from latimesdotcom 

When Bill Clinton Expressed His Concern over Rampant Police Abuse in Punjab

This day, 30 years ago!

Jaya Plans! Karunanidhi Inaugurates! 😊

#memoriesfromdiaries #newspaper

23rd January 1994

Two prominent news reports donned the newspapers on this particular day.

from my personal diary entry, 23rd January 1994

Firstly, Dr. Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, announces the setting up of a Planetarium in Trichy. Interestingly, the Planetarium was inaugurated by her bête noire, Mr. Karunanidhi, in the year 1999.

The Anna Science Centre, Trichy, houses a science museum and planetarium. The entire Planetarium and its accessories were donated by the Government of Japan under the Cultural Grant-in-aid Scheme.

Secondly, Police Abuse in Punjab in the 1990s assumed alarming proportions - so much that even the President of the United States Bill Clinton was forced to express his concerns over human rights violations in the State by the police force.

A report in India Today in 1994 states that,

Many commoners especially the poor were held illegally in police ‘custody’, and tortured mercilessly, and forced to confess to crimes that they did not do.

When the National Human Rights Commission was on a three-day visit to the state, the commission was flooded with over 400 petitions against the Punjab Police, prompting its chairman, Justice (retd) Ranganath Mishra, to remark that even though normalcy had returned to the state, the police's conduct was still far from normal.

Shockingly, even the Chief Secretary of the State admitted candidly that, “Complaints against the police were pouring in from all quarters”.

Things went to such alarming proportions that, even the Punjab High Court had to step forward and pass strictures against the Punjab Police, and also called for compensation to be paid to victims of police excesses.

In most of the cases, there seems to have been a politician-police nexus in fleecing the general public,

says the report.

Now, what exactly made the Punjab Police super-powerful, with such draconian powers in their hands, which was much above their counterparts in other parts of the nation?

Well, the 1980s in Punjab was a period of revolt and insurgency by Sikh militants, who wanted a separate state - Khalistan, which resulted in indiscriminate killings of civilians, politicians, [including the former PM Indira Gandhi], etc.

Under the guise of militancy, even criminals started to threaten and rob rich landowners, business establishments etc. This prompted the government to respond with force.

The Indian government dismissed the elected government in Punjab and imposed President’s Rule!

Moreover, India’s Parliament enacted counterinsurgency legislation that [in a way] facilitated human rights violations and shielded security forces from accountability for these violations.

The National Security Act was amended to allow for detention without trial for up to two years in Punjab for acts prejudicial to the security or defense of India.

The Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act of 1987 (TADA), provided the police with powers of search, seizure, and arrest.

There were widespread allegations that police routinely used torture to obtain confessions from detainees and/or planted evidence as a means of detaining them under TADA. TADA provided immunity from prosecutions for any acts in “good faith done or purported to be done in pursuance of this Act”.

It was in this backdrop that Bill Clinton was forced to call for an end to police abuse.

But why did Clinton have to interfere in Punjab’s police abuse and crimes?

It’s not without a reason though!

When Clinton took over as the 42nd President of the United States in the year 1993 - 

America's families and communities were facing serious crime problems.

More violent crimes were reported in 1992 than ever before, with nearly twenty lakh cases of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults occurring in the United States.

Gun crime had skyrocketed to the highest point in 20 years with more than half a million total gun crimes reported. Parents fought a daily battle to keep their children away from drugs and gangs, as more young people than ever were involved in violent crimes.

In 1992 alone, more than 850,000 children were victims of violent crime, and guns killed 5,379 children — an average of nearly fifteen every day. Communities struggled to fight crime, but the federal response remained bogged down in partisan differences, says an official report.

That’s hence President Clinton and his Vice President Gore focused on reducing crime rates in the US!

This they did by enacting policies that imposed tougher penalties and enforcement along with smart crime prevention measures.

One such smart crime prevention measure was the introduction of a new and novel policing method – Combating Crime with Community Policing!

It was a historic move in America. since community policing involved the community in tackling crime, which proved a tremendous success.

The Clinton administration’s deployment of its comprehensive community crime control strategy for a safer America, was emulated by many countries across the world.

That very same year, Tamil Nadu also saw the birth of the Friends of Police Movement.

The movement, founded in 1993 by Philip V. Prateep, when he was Superintendent of police in Ramanathapuram district, soon received official sanction by the state government and it was soon expanded state-wide as well.

PS: To read more of such past diary entries, just use the hashtag, #memoriesfromdiaries

News Sources curated from: Human Rights Watch [HRW], India Today & Justice.Gov