The PDA government’s intention to remove Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma is now taking various twists and turns that might turn out to be unfavourable for all concerned. Along with the police personnel showing support for the state police chief, some members of the public came out in the open to sign petitions to the President of India to retain the DGP. It is only logical that Nagaland like the rest of India is plagued by various forms of corruption in the government sector. It would be myopic not to accept that corruption does not exist in Nagaland. Whether in the appointment of government servants or in running the various public offices there is rampant corruption and nepotism crossing limits. In such a scenario it is only justified that the police personnel and members of the public found a hero in the incumbent DGP. However the recent trend in Nagaland of taking every issue to the street will set a very wrong precedent.
The ruling PDA’s contention is that the incumbent was appointed only as a stopgap solution since the assembly election in the state was nearing and there was no one to replace the then outgoing DGP. The government’s other contention is that he does not qualify the guideline of 30 years of service nor the 28 years of service that is relaxed for Nagaland. The appointment of the DGP in the states may have certain guidelines and also the directives of the Supreme Court on the selection of DGP in the states are still valid. However, it is ultimately the prerogative of the chief minister and the cabinet to make the selection from those eligible to the post. So any other contention opposed to the government’s decision needs to be sorted only in the courts.
In a coalition government like the present one in Nagaland which also has international borders and a peace process in progress, there is always a tacit understanding between the Centre and the state for the appointment of the top cop. It may not be a norm, but usually the state proposes and the Centre silently nods. It is noteworthy that a previous recommendation and request for a person from another cadre to be made the DGP was rejected by the Centre. However it now seems like the BJP at the Centre and the one in the state has difference of opinions. With a deputy chief minister who is from the BJP, the silence of the chief minister is also quite conspicuous to substantiate this assumption.
In a democratic system that prevails in the country the 60 odd members that are elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly are people’s representatives elected through the secret ballot by a universal adult franchise. The voice of those 60 members is also the voice of the people which in Nagaland is being popularly being discarded as just the voice of the corrupt, although the 60 gets elected every 5 years. Politics and politicians are intensely demonised in Nagaland which is turning unhealthy day by day.
In the whole melee the person proposed to replace the incumbent DGP but yet to be finalised has already become a victim of smear campaign being launched by hidden hands in the public domain. The chief minister who is out of the state at present should immediately break the silence about this issue on his return to the state. There is also an air of expectation since the BJP suddenly announced a new state president in the midst of this issue and hopefully it will be resolved. Nagaland is known for small issues spiralling out of control if not handled properly and so it is imperative that the government make a firm and a final decision.
