Here is a quote from the Assam Police website. “Police profession of late has been seen as an instrument of hatred, corruption, suppression of freedom, violation of human rights and dignities... thanks to the propaganda unleashed about this profession by various frustrated and motivated elements as also the negative projection of this service by the electronic and print media.”

This isn’t irresponsible media reporting, or Bollywood imagery. In a 2007 global report, Transparency International’s (TI) India survey found 72 per cent of respondents felt the police was corrupt. Political parties were marginally ahead, and other public services ranked much lower. In a 2005 India-specific survey, TI reported police as most corrupt among 11 public services. 88 per cent perceived police to be corrupt.

If courts don’t deliver, the poor opt out and look for alternative mechanisms for dispute resolution. If police don’t deliver, the benign influence of police doesn’t exist in ensuring access to justice and enforcement of rights and the poor opt out again. However, this doesn’t protect against the malign influence of police through harassment, especially in urban and semi-urban areas. In 1999, before WDR (World Development Report) 2000-01, World Bank did some consultations with Indian poor. When reporting findings, there was a box titled ‘Police: A Licensed Evil’. “In nearly all the sites visited in the course of consultations with the poor in India, the police service was unanimously lambasted for its inefficiency, corruption and disruptive role in the society... It is a common practice for the policemen to engage in harassment, extortion and black-mailing, and their threat prevents the poor from leading a peaceful life. Often, the policemen are stated to apprehend people for petty reasons, and set them free after charging unreasonable ransoms.” Manushi’s findings in the late 1990s were identical. The system hurts the poor the most and isn’t distributionally neutral. Yet, despite concern over aam aadmi, police reform doesn’t find mention in NCMP.

... contd.