Kiran Bedi

People across India since making the crane withdraw the order of Indira Gandhi, India's first policewoman, Kiran Bedi, fought for 35 years to create a culture of honesty in a body deeply unpopular and even sail from the outside by the diligence police. Bedi worked in the Traffic Department when, in 1982, the vehicle is towed away illegally parked in the then prime minister, a "daring" that earned him the enmity of powerful people and a nickname that is still remembered in India, " Crane Bedi ". Although I knew the reputation as a tennis player, that event and its achievements in different locations gave him the affection of the citizens, who cited it as the "most admired woman" in a 2002 survey, which she associated with her ​​"honesty" "justice" and "fair play". Paradoxically, their reform proposals and his reputation for rectitude, Bedi (1949) has achieved popularity in one of the most unpopular institutions in India, punctuated by accusations of corruption, inefficiency and neglect of the poor. Bedi directed since 2007 India Vision Foundation (IVF, according to its acronym in English), which is based in New Delhi.

- There have been surveys and the Indians have said that you are the most admired woman in India. What do you attribute this?

I can not vouch for the people, I can answer for myself. If I like someone, and I trust him, I have my reasons. That person is trustworthy, not just look in itself but doing much for others, always thinking of the good, by marrying the world with the law. What do they find me? They know it, I do not. The point is that if they do have their reasons. If I do admire someone for who they are, what their values ​​are, what they do for society, what kind of lifestyle they live., And how far they are trustworthy.

- Knowing this is a paradox. Because you are very popular and admired, but at the same time it has served in a body that is still very unpopular and criticized in India, police said. How do you explain?

For me, the police is the most important part of society. Whatever I've achieved, I've got to be a good cop. This basically means that even if people do not trust the police department, if they trust me, trust my way of exercising the police. And this means that the police may also be the most admired profession. It is the way to go. As the teacher. Teachers, police, government officials ... is like the doctor who prescribed drugs not only himself, but serves others. At the moment you start this generous sense, this sense of love, respect, compassion, professionalism, the thing begins to be the most admired and respected. Police may be the most respected profession in the country, provided it's done with integrity, honesty, sincerity, and care.

- How would you implement this says to the Indian police? What reforms need the body to be reliable?

Must report fairly, honestly and transparently. If that is the parameter, you must be honest, fair, and without fear. People love this. To be fair to all, honest with all ...

- But this is not happening ...

It's about people. People have to be fair and honest to give justice and honesty. I can not not be honest if I want to give you honesty. The police men and women, and leadership, they must believe in justice not only for themselves but for others. You need the right people.

- So how would you put this into practice? It is difficult to change people.

I must believe in honesty. I have to believe in justice and fair play, and I have to believe in providing prompt service. I must be sensible. This means that the more fair, sensitive and honest as the people who has the leadership, the better your departments. You'll find what you are. You can not give what you are not. It is a matter of choice, the country should select the best.

- So this is change ...

This should be instilled. Applied. Measured. How do you measure? With the perspective of the people. If the Government of India really wants a good police, do not be measured by the number of arrests you've done, but by what people think of you. We must rely on the people's perspective to judge the police work.

- Would you say that this obsession with quantity is one reason why they occur "extrajudicial killings"?

Yes is the way people perceive you. In my country there is no sociological research on the outlook of the people. People complain constantly of Police in the media. But that does not have any serious consequences. The admiration for a police officer has no consequences, and similarly, disgust against an officer in the media or the perception people have no serious consequences. We must respect both. But the people as a whole, not voting, but their prospects. Want to sell a product and build trust, then get the opinion of the people. This is how you vote. Why I voted as the most admired woman? I have been voted the most reliable woman from India in the Readers Diggest. Why? Well, just serving. When you want something, polls, and if they want, not what you do. Do regular testing and annual'll know who's doing what. In that same survey of Readers Digest, the professions of teacher and nurse were voted as the most trustworthy. Police, government, and politicians are in the background. It is the perception of people, and this should concern us, because if there is no confidence in the police, government and politicians, how can we trust?

- If you were now within the police, how would end this issue of extrajudicial killings?

Have you read my book? (No.) There is a chapter in which I have developed a Gandhian model of Police. That is my answer to the police (shows two models in his book: a ​​hierarchical organization chart, current, and another with its proposal, centered on a strong leadership that revolve around the other posts). If I were Commissioner of Police, this (second) would be the model. The leader would be in the center, and work as a team great. A model is hierarchical, the other transformer. I call it, "Mode transformer Police", where only the truth prevails.

- How do you implement? I imagine that if the leader is bad ...

Then there is no police Gandhi, but the first model. It's a way to police peaceful and trustworthy. And there will be no escape extrajudicial killings or crime. No false arrests, but no one will escape criminal or dishonest. Would need to recruit good cops. Those who come to be good, will remain so. Recruit the best in the country, not dishonest. All you have to do is analyze their work in full, not by the number of arrests they make, and how much people trust them.

- It is widely believed that the police act more harshly against the poor, is it true?

Yes it is. Anywhere, there is always a fair official. And when someone is unfair, will behave more unfair to the poor and aligned with the strong and not being neutral. But just showing that you are equal for all, people trust you. Now, if what you say is that you have more friends among the rich and the strong, the poor do not trust you. Poor people trust me because I worked for everyone, even for them. Even now, my NGO activity is for the poor. He was sensitive to their demands, and felt that the poor need you more than the rich and powerful.

- A good example with his fine on the car of Indira Gandhi.

Yes I was not afraid of the rich and powerful.

- Do you think the country learned something from that story?

Would do if you were there. As I said, my pillar is justice, so I do not differences between rich and poor, between those with power and those without.

- I imagine he suffered any retaliation for it.

Well ... I lost friends, including the sector of the powerful, but I made many friends among the people. People confided in me, but the powerful did not like much because it meant a threat to them, that would not enjoy the favors. Indira Gandhi did not interfere, but his secretaries and his staff were so offended that they made ​​sure get me out of the traffic police as soon as they finished the Asian Games, when it should have continued to achieve some procedures and innovations. But that did not care. I got fired when the Delhi Police was in his second year consolidation phase, with appropriate measures had been introduced. Who cared about the future? I simply fired.

- What is pc. that the poor suffer more from bad police? What happens in rural areas?

The rural police is very inadequate. The state police is very weak. When you need a certain number of agents, there are not enough. Mobility, connectivity, infrastructure, rural India Police is weak, very weak. So there is more disorder and chaos. The ratio of rural police compared to urban is very low. Is far below international standards. Because ... that's the poor man's police. And they think is normal. The rural police is very neglected. India should ask for more. That's where you have to pay more attention, and where the ball is on the roof of the regional governments. In the regions, would improve the police if they change the way they measure the overall performance. But that overall performance is linked to the level of integrity.

- Was your way of thinking that finally prompted him to leave the body?

It does not matter. The system must value the securities, and not statistics, or caste and creed, relationships ... It has to assess performance based on values. Arrestes not anyone, and prevents more crime. In my previous posts that's what I did. When I stopped the sale of illegal alcohol, for example. Others had many more arrests, but still with that problem. Arrestas a hundred, but there are a hundred more that are still selling. I not arrest anyone because there was no need, no one was selling moonshine. Sure, it rewarded those who arrested more people. My boss ended by acknowledging that there were no arrests because we were managing to prevent crime. Which is better?

- I guess the "bad" still prevail.

There are two types of people in the body. We must change the organizational line, and value different things. There would have to assess the number of arrests, but the prevention, rather than just detection. This policy is not followed in India, or rather, is a policy pursued by some individuals, but not a national policy followed.

- What do you think they are laying the foundations for that change could happen? Is there political will?

Well, this is part of the theoretical training of the National Police Academy. But as I said, you can read or learn, but also to implement. Must be evaluated by the leaders of the region. Each region has its own leaders. Mr. (Palaniappan) Chidambaram is only a Minister of the Interior, but there are thirty regional ministers of Interior, and we appreciate this.

- You He believes that Mr. Chidambaram is doing well.

Mr. Chidambaram is modernizing the police force. Systems is providing the police force, but does so from above. I'm talking about a reform from below. And for that you need (the action) the regional governments and police chiefs at regional, interior ministers at regional levels.

- With the current situation, how long do ud. Indian police need to be in an acceptable situation?

Long time. The regions are at different levels. Some are better, others worse.

- This shows that there are things that do not work ...

Of course. There are people fighting for it, and perhaps why the prime minister is always talking about governance. Our prime minister is known for his integrity and people trust him. It is the ninth Indian to whom the people trust, according to the Readers Diggest.

- Detecto also like (Prime Minister) Mr. Manmohan Singh ... Do you know him personally?

Yes, I have met him. I know, I know. He hails from the same city where I was born, Amritsar. Well, I have great respect for his integrity. And so it is the most voted and people trust him. The point is that there should be many more people like him.

- How does your Safer India ("Safer India")?

Believe me, India will need. It is a model for India, for each regional police. There is a website ... If the complaint does not receive due attention by the police, let them come to our center, and leaves us to our regional association Spreading.

- And then, it disclosed?

No, we inform the local police. We have volunteers in different states. They connect with the police. Telephoned the volunteer and say that a person needs help. So either you get in touch with the police and talk to the officer in charge, or you get in touch with the volunteer or the regional commission of offenses or regional human rights commissions, or the regional government. We make lots of noise.

- And the police act?

If not, would not receive much attention. We received twenty calls or emails a day, at least.

- I guess its momentum is also greater transparency ... like the RTI Act (Right to Information).

Yes, and responsibility.

- Can the RTI alleviate the status of the poor? It's parallel to the initiative of Safer India.

Before they had nothing, now have only the RTI. But it's good. If the poor can use it properly, and organized for use, can act as an element of fear for the authorities.

- Let me change of pace. You were the first woman who entered the police. Found ud. resistance at that time?

There was nothing suitable for me. Everything was designed for the kids, there was nothing for a woman: no place to live, or places of education and training, and female costume, or calendar adapted for women, there was nothing called "woman". So when I joined, I asked about the suit he would, what dress uniform. Where would live. What exercises do and what not ... And my answer was very simple: I can be anywhere, and I can share any installation. Then I got a separate room, but I did not have special needs. What about the uniform? I can wear the same shirt and breeches men. That uniform is still the same today for men and women. Go to the same job, the same exercises, the same training. Exceeded the challenges of equals. I had to redesign, I just became part of the whole group. That's it.

- And there was no discrimination, not legal, but in day to day?

I did not suffer, because it was better than many. That's the reason. Had this not been the case, then surely would have suffered ridicule, why have you come, you are not fit, you should do something else. I went into service in 1972 July. I was a champion tennis player in Asia. What tennis champion choose to join the police? Well, to be champion, that means continued daily training, racing four or five miles a day to be fit. Many kids do not do the same. So I was better than many, many male colleagues, it is true that many others were very good. But then there were many champions ... It was really respected me and my male colleagues were held in high esteem.

- What would be your best during his 35 years of service, any special memories?

Each day. Each day. I can not take one, because every time I've had some work, I have been serving the people, whether by traffic, prison ADMINISTRATION, training of agents, control of crime. My day to day was full of achievements ... Most of my experiences in prevention then became part of my activities in the NGO, which continues many of these programs. My prison reforms became law and rules and training modules. My boost traffic has become a practice all over India. The cranes are anywhere to remove illegally parked cars. About 30 books are part of police training curriculum. And computer programs that are already introduced for all India. Any good practice ... It was to build capacity: where I went, I tried to increase capacity. And when you raise the level of skills, then they remain for others to build on them.

- But for example, in prisons, there is much to do ...

But both are better than before ... It has been built 50 times what it was before. If I was at level 0 and put it on level 3, who is come to rise from that point ... If the foundation is strong, can reach many more levels.

- And at the opposite pole, does ud. Sometime particularly bitter?

That's not my attitude. I do not look at that. I focus on "what I do with this." My energy is "too bad that this happened," but of "this has happened, how do I fix it?".

- But ud. Police stopped. I guess that somehow became disenchanted.

Had I not gone, I would have disappointed. But I went ahead and started doing so many things that I was expecting. And I love it because it made me work even harder. I want to be somewhere where there is a sense of high achievement and fulfillment of objectives. That would not have happened if I had stayed where it was. But to get that freedom, so many things to start working ... radio, television, NGOs, generate resources, travel to other sites, make a documentary (Yes, Madam Sir). Both ... In the last two years I have traveled the world a bunch of times and reaching millions throughout the world ... It was incredible. If I had stayed, I would have collapsed. When your freedom, I realized that I could be a global citizen.

- But let's be clear ... you did not feel moved to not get the position from which to make a difference?

It was not to change things, but to do more. I've done more in my NGO, reaching people, writing. I wrote more, I taught more, I spoke more on television and radio ... I'm feeling done in many fields. Literally, now working 17 hours a day. Literally.

- And being pc. a female embodiment, what steps believed to be given to empower women in this country?

A quality education. Quality education that makes them free. After all, I am a product of an education that strengthened me and gave me freedom. Make decisions, acquire knowledge, skills. If you have no education, it is difficult to have those capabilities. Do not talk about literacy, but education skills. Skills spiritual, physical, mental courage, decision making, knowledge ... In order to create things in my head with my own hands.

- How long before women reach an acceptable level?

Two decades, some twenty years. Things will be different. Will be at the forefront. Police today is not very sensitive to issues like domestic violence. Safer in India, the majority of cases. Domestic violence is serious. The law is very good, but people do not know very well, so we give them advice.

- Women and poor, bad combination ...

Yes, ignorance and poverty often go hand in hand.

The most powerful Maoist attack in recent years reveals a civilian tragedy

New Delhi, 16 March 2007. - The Maoist attack that left 55 policemen in a police station of Dantewada district in the Indian region of Chatisgarh (center) has shown the power of the guerrillas, but especially the bleak situation a civilian population caught in the crossfire.
The attack came at dawn on Thursday when about 500 Naxalites (Maoists) attacked with grenades and Molotov cocktails at a position in which 80 security personnel were sleeping in an area of difficult access in the "Red Corridor", some 100,000 square kilometers in part controlled by the guerrillas.
Although the origins of the Naxalites, who took their name from a revolt of 1967 in the village of Naxalbari Bengali, appear linked to the university, later, his message became popular in rural and impoverished areas, where they often launch small attacks hidden in areas forest.
But the power of the Maoists not only their good organization, but also in its attraction for young people in the poorest regions of the country, who, frustrated by the lack of jobs and opportunities are encouraged to join the ranks of the guerrillas.
Concerned about the rise of the rebels, the government had contributed in 2005 to establishment of a movement Chatisgarh anti-Maoist called "Campaign for Peace" (Salwa Judum), which enrolled about 50,000 villagers.
And indeed, most -39 - of the 55 dead officers belong to the "special police" (SPO, acronym in English), actually a body formed by villagers who work for the security forces with a rifle, a pay monthly equivalent of 25 euros or 33 dollars and a uniform of a sticker with handwritten initials.
"The Maoists are not stronger than before, what happens is that they defend the fence to submit them, which is increasingly tight," he told Efe from Dantewada spokesman of the police force, M. Mishra.
With this background, the impoverished youth of Dantewada district, mostly "adivasis" (tribals), just have three options for the future: take to the mountains with the guerrillas, working with counterinsurgency forces organized by the government or try to survive in the crossfire from both sides.
In Dantewada no one is free from danger, as the Maoist attack those involved in activities and meetings of the "Campaign for Peace" while those who refuse to do so are attacked by paramilitary forces, Amnesty International reported Efe.
"We are concerned about the safety of" adivasis ", normal people in the conflict. We ask the Government to investigate the murders committed by paramilitary and security review its laws. And the Maoists should know that violence solves nothing, "he told Efe Soumya Bhaumik, delegate of the organization.
Last year alone, the flight was the only way for more than 100,000 civilians of the "Red Corridor", resistant to pressure from both sides.
But even in the most hopeless shining lights, a Deputy Director of Police Abhyanand, the poorest region of India, Bihar, has appealed to the imagination with an initiative that can break the spiral of violence that has left hundreds of thousands of displaced and thousands dead in recent decades.
His idea is to launch a tourism circuit in the areas dominated by the Maoists, to create "job opportunities and development" and "get something positive out of a bad deed."
"If the fans and supporters of the guerrilla unemployed prove the sweetness of development, fearsome abandon their leaders," said Abhyanand.
The "Maoist tourism" is to establish tourist spots in the areas hit by the violence of the guerrillas.
"We will include some of the rebel hideouts and places where massacres were committed, police always ensuring the safety of tourists," said the agent.
But with large-scale attacks such as this week, the fact is that tourists must have a developed sense of danger in the "red corridor", the violent Maoist stronghold, counterinsurgency and suffered "adivasis", ordinary people .