Bhopal: In last 33 months, as many as 722 police personnel have died on duty, while 22 committed suicides in the state, these staggering figures are stark reminder of the fact that the people responsible for our safety are working under intense pressure and stress. On an average, police personnel works around over 15 hours a day and this has taken a toll on their health and also disturbed their personnel lives. Apathetic attitude of the seniors towards these personnel of lower ranks have added to their woes.
The weekly ‘orderly meeting’ held at police stations has been discontinued for the reasons best known to the seniors. The superintendent of police was scheduled to take the meeting of the police personnel every week to look into and also redress their grievances. But that is not happening now and the cops, especially at lower level have nobody to listen to their woes.
The police department, set up to maintain law and order situation under control, has failed to provide a platform to its personnel where the issues hurting them physically, emotionally and mentally could be taken up.
Recently, a head constable posted at Raun police station of Bhind district Ram Kumar had committed suicide. Allegedly harassed by his station-in charge, the cries of this personnel remain unheard by the seniors and the dejected cop took the extreme step. The incident has brought to fore the need of a platform where the police personnel can raise their voice against any harassment or speak their heart out about the issues troubling them.
In all 22 personnel ended their live while serving. Five cops committed suicide by shooting themselves by their service gun, five ended their lives by consuming poisonous substance, while rest hanged themselves to death.
Most of the suicides have been reported in Bundelkhand region, this incudes Tikamgarh and Sagar district. These two districts accounts for six suicides. One cop had committed suicide in Singorali district, one commandant ended life while on duty in Datia, one suicide each was reported in Raisen, Rewa and Sehore, two in Jabalpur district.
If unofficial sources are to be believed, complex relation between the work pressure, family tension and property dispute were the major reasons which prompted the cops to take the extreme step. In 1858, when the police department was established by the British rulers, in every police station an ‘orderly room’ was set up. The district SP was given the responsibility to take meeting on weekly basis. The days were also fixed either on Tuesday or on Friday.
During these meetings police personnel would share their problems with SP and the officials would redress them. However, nowadays the fragile law and order situation keeps the senior authorities on toes and they have no time left to lend their ears to the woes of their junior staff. District superintends have almost stopped holding the weekly meetings, which is very much resented by the police personnel.
