It isn’t the legislators, nor the bureaucrats,not even the press which breaks so many strict Shimla’s sealed and restricted road laws, it is the police itself which breaks most traffic rules in the hill station and gets away without being rapped.
Sources say only a handful of top IPS officers have valid permits to travel on the sealed and restricted roads of Shimla.
But it is common knowledge that most IPS and HPS officers break the rules by driving their official and private vehicles on these roads.
The lowly constable has to look the other way when these violators drive past, worse he has to even salute these law breakers and sanction their entry on to the sealed and restricted roads of Shimla.
There is much talk of a young and enthusiastic IPS officer who some months ago took over as the police chief of Shimla.He is making efforts to streamline Shimla’s traffic.There is talk of being tough on all traffic violations like neighbouring Chandigarh.
But there is no evidence to show if the in-house police violations are being checked.The men in khaki(now blue) continue to speed past on the unique traffic free roads of Shimla.
Ask the lowly constable and he will tell you instead of stopping these violators he has to salute these law breakers with a flourish.
The current police chief of Himachal Pradesh has recently made a novel gesture by dropping his sir name from his name plate and badge.He has also asked all his officers to do the same, so that the public sees them as casteless and classless civil servants of the public.
It is time the police chief now orders his officers to shed their pompous police titles as well and stop bullying traffic constables on Shimla’s roads.
For long there is so much talk about how idle and top heavy the Himachal Pradesh police is.There is virtually no work for many officers in the state.
Many question the need for so many officers in the state which must be one of the most peaceful and crime free in the entire country.
So idle are police officers in Himachal that their focus and targets are naturally elsewhere, outside the state in foreign destinations.
Most are busy lobbying to get lucrative UN and other foreign postings and bringing back a fortune which will not even be taxed back home.
Grabbing a foreign posting is the most popular talk among police officers as they sit idle, bored,scheming and lobbying in their offices or driving past Shimla’s sealed and restricted roads with disdain !
In a 20 year career published widely. He has worked for the BBC, AFP, The Statesman, IANS and the Business Standard . Known for his hard hitting writing and occasional off-beat stories. He lives in Shimla.
This unhappy story reminds me of two episodes:
1.Mobile phone of Singapore city police commissioner rang while he was driving. In a huff, he picked the phone which was urgent, indeed. After the call hung up, he realised what he did and surrendered before the nearest police post for having violated the law. The constable did salute him, but case was registered and he was fined.
2. Tejender Khanna, an IAS and now Delhi Lt Governor, when he was posted in London as diplomat, he was invited by a senior British civil servant for the dinner as a restaurant. On way back Khanna offered to drop him back in his car. On the way, Khanna on driving seat, arrived at traffic crossing, with light just turned orange, Khanna sped up, and light turned red, but they just made it! The Britisher sat straight-faced as Khanna took him to his home. As he got down, thanked him for the dinner, the Britisher, barely able to conceal his indignation, parted with sharp remark — “It was great being your guest tonight, Mr Khanna, but please, when you are jumping the traffic red-light next time, make sure Her Majesty’s servant is not sitting in your car!”