Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's speech at SVP National Police Academy

I am extremely delighted to be with you today at this Passing Out Parade of the 58th Batch of IPS Probationers. This day is a momentous occasion that every member of a uniformed service cherishes all his or her life. I pay tribute to the memory of great Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, after whom your great institution is named. He was rightly called the Iron Man of India. He was among the tallest of the builders of modern India and our federal polity as we know it today.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had envisaged a uniform pattern of police training for the whole country that led to the birth of this magnificent Academy. You are products of his vision and his foresight. My heartiest congratulations to all the officers passing out today, for their immaculate turnout and for the excellent standard of parade. I compliment all those who have won medals and trophies. It is a recognition of your hard work and dedication in various areas of training.

I am extremely happy that four officers of the Royal Bhutan Police and three officers of the Maldivian Police Service are also passing out today. I have no doubt that the bonds forged during the training in this Academy will further strengthen the bonds between our nations and peoples.

The Police Service symbolizes courage, sacrifice and dedication. You have today become the proud bearers of the great responsibility Sardar Patel placed on your service when he created it. Remember that hereafter, your duty as an officer, and as a leader, would be far more important than anything else in your life. You must maintain the highest standards of professional excellence, integrity and honesty, making service to the nation and our people the guiding principle of your work. You will have to live up to the high expectations which our society, the polity, your own peers, and your own family has of you. There are going to be innumerable challenges and hurdles that will come your way; but you will have to show the courage, determination, steadfastness of purpose and the necessary resilience to meet those challenges. And all the while, not losing sight of the larger purpose for which we are all working, i.e., to serve the people of India with utmost dedication and commitment.

Our nation is on the march and is being transformed beyond recognition. Society is changing at a pace never imagined before. This is inevitably giving rise to tensions which are probably inevitable in a poor country trying to modernize itself. Nearly 70% of our people live in rural areas. As such, the public administration in our country must have an in-depth knowledge and awareness of problems faced by our rural population. Particular attention ought to be paid to control caste based violence and atrocities against weaker sections. At the same time, we have to recognize the growing pulls of urbanization. Large urban agglomerations are throwing up organized crime in a manner not foreseen in the past. White collar crime is taking on new dimensions. Sophisticated instrumentalities are available to criminals which need to be countered. This requires knowledge of new disciplines and new ways of tackling such crime. You will have to understand the complexity of forces shaping the march of our polity. Only such deep understanding will enable you to handle your work in an effective and efficient manner.

You have the primary responsibility of maintaining public order and peace and enforcing the rule of law. There are challenges to peace in numerous forms. There are subversive forces at work. Economic globalisation and technological development have altered the nature of crime, giving rise to new forms of criminality. Perhaps, even more than external aggression, we need to be concerned about internal security. In some instances there is of course an external dimension to the internal threat. But, it will be your responsibility to ensure internal security. You must all gear up to meet this challenge.

Internally, we face not only one single over-arching threat, but a multitude of dangers. Problems are not confined to one State alone and often encompass several States. This requires not just improved coordination between states but also new modes of cooperation requiring the use of the best technologies and management skills that are available.

The most dangerous threat today is Terrorism. From an occasional footnote, it has become a hydra-headed monster. There are several strains of terrorism present, and you will need to keep abreast of developments in tackling this great danger. Today's terrorists are most sophisticated, have transnational linkages and have adequate resources. Both knowledge and determination are required if we are to succeed against these elements.

Many of you are being posted to areas like the North East, Jammu & Kashmir, or states where Naxalites are active today. The problems in each of these regions are different. The nuances of each situation have to be appreciated and skillfully dealt with. All this will demand sensitive handling of these complicated situations on your path. Understand the reasons for disaffection and alienation and possibly, you will find some answers to your challenges. In the final analysis, see yourself as the guardian of all citizens, including the alienated. Try to bring the alienated back to the path laid down by law of the land.

In our urgency to fight high profile crime, we sometimes tend to ignore some of the more basic functions of the police force. You need to create an atmosphere of security among all citizens. Increasingly, our older citizens are living lonely lives in cities as a result of nuclear families. You must make special efforts to make them feel secure. Women and children must be protected from harassment, exploitation, ill-treatment and crime. You must be particularly sensitive to the possibilities of caste violence and communal atrocities in many parts, both rural and urban. There are many forces driving these phenomena. Try to understand them before coming to valid conclusions.

You must have a humane attitude to all those who come in contact with you. Empathise with their problems. Be sensitive to their fears and aspirations. Make them your partners in your fight against crime. Develop a strong sense of commitment to secular values. Each one of you must be known for being just, fair and firm. Our country is defined by its pluralism. It is this plurality of cultures, of religions and of ethnicity which makes our society one of the most complex yet fascinating in the world.

Your understanding, your specialization, your empathy would contribute greatly to our vision of an inclusive prosperous India. I cannot think of any other organized segment of the Government that has so much responsibility put on its shoulders as is the case with our police forces. This is the challenge you face as you leave the portals of the magnificent Academy. I am sure that you will discharge your responsibility and view it as a sacred trust.

As young officers, please make all out efforts to change the image of the police. Make it a force that looks after one and all. A force that marshals the best that is there in modern science and technology for upholding the rule of law. And at all times, please remember that you are cast in the role of an investigator, not a judge. Rise above parochial considerations and personal ambitions. You have a sacred duty to perform.

At the same time, you must treat the men and women in your force with compassion, dignity and respect. We must end feudal vestiges in our services where lower staff are treated like menials. You must work towards making whatever force you command a first rate force, second to none. Value knowledge. Value the art of learning. Value training. Life is but one long journey of constant learning and we must continuously equip ourselves with the latest tools of the trade. The world is being changed rapidly by an explosion in knowledge. Go with the tide and do not remain prisoners of the past.

You will of course face immense resistance from vested interests in your endeavours. But you must catch the bull by the horns and take charge of your destiny. Today, you have taken a solemn oath to uphold the Indian Constitution while discharging your duties. I urge you to uphold the oath in its letter and spirit during your entire career.

The police are a manifest symbol of a State's authority. If the police behave in that spirit and are seen as upholders of the Rule of Law, then their legitimacy and of the State itself is enhanced. I expect that as you step out of the portals of this hallowed institution today, you do so with a resolve that hereafter your every step will be to uphold the right to life, liberty and dignity of the people you are charged to serve.

I am sure, the rigorous basic training you have undergone in the last eleven months will hold you in good stead in the discharge of your duties.

This is a very special day for you, your loved ones, and your trainers. Family members of officers should be pillars of strength and support. The nation will watch you with great hopes and great expectations. Swami Vivekananda once said he looked forward to the day when our young men and women would be possessed of "muscles of iron and nerves of steel and a mind made of such stuff of which thunder bolts are made". I hope the Academy has been able to impart this quality in each one of you.

Go boldly into your careers. Work for justice through just means. Defeat may sometimes test you; it need not stop you. The greatest mistake lies in giving up. Wishes alone will not bring success, but planning, persistence and burning desire will. Success is an attitude and I am very confident that each one of you will make it a personal enterprise to realize the dreams of our founding fathers of our Republic.

I convey my heartiest congratulations to each one of you, to your parents, to the Director of the Academy and all your instructors on the successful completion of your Basic Training. I am very happy that this institution is living up to its mandate. I compliment each one of you who has been associated with its commendable work.