Our Correspondent
Kohima | May 5
During the three hour long deliberation on community policing with colony youth representatives of Kohima led by Angami Youth Organization (AYO) at PHQ, Toshitsungba Ao, IPS, DIG (Range) in-charge of law & order said that there are 26,000 police personnel in Nagaland at present in terms of population ratio, which he said is the highest in the world.
In the form of suggestion, Toshitsungba felt that Nagaland today needs an administrative government rather than a developmental government, saying that the priority of government should be administration followed by development. All the stake holders of development department, VDB and Village Council should make accountable for maintenance of law & order and development. The police and public relation needs improvement. The SP of the district can send a strong signal to general public that police personnel’s are available for the security of people and will be available for any moment, he said adding that the DC/SP of district can also given a role in developmental activities so that he has a direct contact with villagers and general public. There should be more outpost /Beat House in towns, cities and villages for co-ordination with general public and strengthening the community policing in the villages.
He felt that DC/SP should visit and meet each and every village at least 2 times in a year within their district and share the villagers problem so that community policing can be improved or strengthen in the already established system. The district administration & police should also take part of important departments such as health care, rural development, education, power supply, water supply and agri. and allied department activities in the developmental process so that accountability of concern departments are fixed and implement the schemes. He also felt that the towns and cities where Municipal and town council are established should be given certain responsibility and accountability for maintenance of peace and tranquility in their respective locality.
Observing that Naga society by nature has very rich social capital, he said our socio-cultural and religious life can contribute social networking for voluntary service and neighbourhood relation to check social problem and crime in our respective localities. He however said over the years the Naga society has reached a situation where there is lack of mutual trust between public and government functionaries.
Saying that an attitude of compromise and resignation with the reality has slowly over taken between general public and government machineries, he said “It is therefore felt that the trust deficit should be overcome with the help of civil societies between public and government.”
Kohima SP Rothihu Tetseo said that approximately 8500 security force is deployed in Kohima alone, which includes 1400 DEF, INT- 1000, Assam Rifles (2- Kohima and Tsiesema, DIG, CRPF, NAP, IRB including TA (Jakhama). He said that despite such number of force available in the state capital, it has some failure and weakness in dealing with law and order. He stated that when it comes from government side many people fail to response with seriousness but when colony or NGOs take up the case people consider it as very serious. In this, he said the police observed the cooperation of the colony/NGOs as “very important” for which a meeting was called today. “We want to request you and we should work together to keep law and order,” he told the meeting. He added that the force alone is not going to help unless there is cooperation from the NGOs and public.
Dr. Kevi Rio of AYO stressed on the need to maintain a proper house number and also proper registration of tenants in the state capital. He also observed that that siren is provided to every colony so that it can quickly spread alert as and when incident occur.
