Kahuto Chishi Sumi
Hevishe Village, Khaghaboto Range
As we begin the second round of our battle to retain Rupin Sharma, IPS as The Director General of the Nagaland Police, I have been surprised by the number of Naga Experts crawling out of the woodwork, eager to share their knowledge and expertise on the qualifications necessary to hold the Office of The Director General of Police. As my friend, Wetshete Joseph Thopi, so brilliantly pointed out, “Where were all these experts on the qualification of Government Employees in the cases of the rampant Backdoor Appointments?.” Since everybody and his dog are sharing their unsolicited opinions on the subject, I have decided to share my unsolicited opinion on the matter too, based on what I have been able to research.
The Union Public Service Commission allocates State Cadres only to the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service. Within the State, Officers of these three Services hold all Posts, up to the rank of Chief Secretary (for the IAS), Director General of Police (for the IPS) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (for the IFS) on the basis of their seniority versus other members of their respective Services in the State Cadre. I am open to correction, but I have not come across any Rule that states that Members of these three services must have completed a certain length of service to hold a certain Post within the State Government Machinery.
Guidelines were issued for the post of DGP because of multiple claimants for the same post, within the State Cadre. Keep in mind that these are Guidelines to help in choosing the right man for the job, not rules or laws that must be followed to the letter. And these Guidelines apply solely to the claimants from within the State Cadre. What it means is that an IPS Officer of The Assam State Cadre cannot claim the post of DGP. of Meghalaya, just because he happens to fulfill the criteria of the Guidelines better than the IPS Officers of the Meghalaya State Cadre.
With respect to the Guidelines, they specifically state that three factors must be taken into consideration while choosing the DGP:- 1. On the basis of Length of Service.2. On the basis of a Very Good Record.3. On the Range of Experience in heading a Police Force. Let me break them down with specific reference to our State.
1. Length of Service: The 30 year Guideline to be a DGP applies solely to claimants from within the IPS Officers of the Nagaland State Cadre; if it did not, there are dozens, if not hundreds of IPS Officers across India who have fulfilled this criteria and are eligible to be the DGP of Nagaland, so why choose one who has not fulfilled this criteria to replace our current incumbent? And I emphasize the point that, “There is no Guideline, Rule or Law that states that in the case of Nagaland, an IPS Officer who has served for 28 years is eligible for the Post of DGP.” Even if there was such a guideline, there is Sunil Achaya, IPS of the Nagaland State Cadre of the 1991 Batch, who has seniority over TJ Longkumer, IPS, so, technically, Achaya is the only person who can replace Rubin Sharma, IPS.
2. Record: I cannot comment on Sharma’s record, having no access to them, but I had a cousin, now deceased, who was a master forger and first class scamster and one of the key players in the False Pension Scheme. He narrated to me how Sharma broke this False Pension Scheme when the latter was Superintendent of Police of the Crime Branch. So, Sharma is personally responsible for saving the Exchequer of The State of Nagaland hundreds, if not thousands of Crores of Rupees. And I’m certain if there was any blot on his record, the Political and Bureaucratic Weasels seeking to replace him would have leaked it by now; so we can rest assured that Sharma’s record clean.
3. Experience: For the benefit of the lying nincompoops who say Sharma lacks experience, here’s a brief summary:- (a) Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Niuland. (b) Additional Superintendent of Police, Dimapur {pre-ceasefire}. (c)Superintendent of Police, Peren. (d) Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch. (e) Senior Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch. (f)Under secretary to The Ministry of External Affairs {M.E.A.}. (g) Central Bureau of Police {C.B.I.} assigned to Interpol {The International Police Organisation}. (h) Served in the United Nations Peace-Keeping Mission in Bosnia. (i) Deputy Inspector General, Central Intelligence Division. (j) Additional Director General, Law and Order. (k) Director General, Prisons. I think that covers enough experience for two, if not more, ordinary Police Officers.
So, what stops all the people of Nagaland from objecting to the replacement of Sharma? We all know the good he has done for the Policemen and Policewomen of Nagaland. Is it for the fear of causing Tribal Animosity? If that is so, then we are we are fools. Replacing Sharma may benefit a few members from a tribe or two and a few members of their village or family, but not all their family members or villagers and certainly not all their tribe. Don’t be fooled by the lies, Mr. Sharma’s transfer will mean deprivation of the Dues and Rights of the thousands, of All Naga Tribesmen and Tribeswomen serving in the Nagaland Police; it will mean hardship on the thousands and tens of thousands more who depend on them. I urge all the Tribal Organisations and Civil Societies to defend your People, defend our Rights, speak out now, or never presume to speak for the welfare of your tribes in the future. Mr. Rupin Sharma’s continuation as Director General of The Nagaland Police is Vital to our future and benefits All the Tribes and People of Nagaland. God Save Nagaland
