Thursday, June 3, 2010
A Killer Idea
A friend of mine called Osama, not that one -the other Osama, described the FOP idea as a killer idea. I wonder it is a killer idea because a lot of powerful forces and persons tried to kill it from its infancy and even now have it high on their agenda. Probably, he called it a killer idea because it attacks the root and branch of crime, disorder, terrorism et al. Crime begins in the minds of men and the best place to strike at it is by a conceptual understanding of what role every enlightened citizen needs to play in the modern world. FoP gives a multifarious role to the citizen to realize himself or herself. It means not only Friend of Police, but Friend of Poor- you could help or serve the underprivileged in some way you think is suitable or possible for you. You could give two hours of your week to teaching the underprivileged children. How is this connected with reducing crime ? The young ones as well as the older people in the slum would see that there are people out there with a heart who want to reach out to them. As Principal, Police Training College, I started a FOP mentoring program and 60 of the 240 cadets volunteered their spare time to teach the poor children in a nearby slum. I started the class by writing on a blackboard, " Knowledge is Power". I asked the gathered gleeful children to read the line. They read it as "K-now-ledge". I said," Yes it is actually K-now-ledge but that's the magic of the language that it has become 'Knowledge' with the K silent."
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Dear Prateep, and all fellow readers,
ReplyDeleteI call it a killer idea, because it involves, people, it involves, community, it is democratic in its true nature, it gives the power and decision in the hands of the people to choose their own fate through the collective wisdom. I also believe Policing is not about power to police, but i think it is about responsibility to preempt and take measures not to police. It is not about alopathic medicine which is more about post disease cure. FOP gives an opportunity to make the ills of the society not even crop up. FOP is an idea which if adopted through legislation, there would be a possibility to "No-Need of Policing" as we know it today. The entire governance systems and policing systems of the modern era is designed to create market, consumerism, and opportunity to create industry - an industry for security, industry of arms and ammunitions, industry for unnecessary vigilance, an industry of rule and being ruled. FOP is a kind of system that allows natural system, like the original systems of religions as it was supposed to be and not how it is practiced today. Ideally FOP should be implemented by people's representatives like Sarpanches, MLAs, and MPs in their constituencies and they should take responsibility to work with the local Police system; if done properly, we will see that entire police establishment may have to be withdrawn for good reasons.
Osama Manzar
osamam@gmail.com