Dear Fellow Citizens, CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLES POLICE As you probably know, there is a huge public demand for

reforms in various institutions and areas in our country, especially Electoral Reforms, Administrative Reforms, Police Reforms, etc. We would like to focus on Police Reforms. WHAT WE WANT TO DO: We want to build pressure on the political class to effect reforms in the police forces of the country so that the Police: Understand that they are for the people and are bound to act in the interest of the people and that they are bound to ignore or resist illegitimate demands of political or bureaucratic power centers. Are sensitized to the needs of the common man. Are protected from the influence of unscrupulous power centers and can perform their duties without fear or favour. Understand their duty over and above what is prescribed by the text of the law. In other words, Police should perform their duty not only in letter but in the spirit of the law. Break the entrenched resistance from the political class and the bureaucracy who have a vested interest in leaving things as they are. In short, we want to humanize the police forces of the country. BACKGROUND: A judgement by the Honourable Supreme Court of India, on 22nd Sept. 2006 in the PIL of Sh. Prakash Singh & others gave 7 directions to the state and Union Governments for Police Reforms. A month later, in October 2006, Soli Sorabjee Committee set up by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) of Government of India handed over a Model Police Act to the Government.

 Now, seven years later, the S.C.is questioning states and the Union Govt. why they have not implemented its directions while, the Model Police Act remains buried deep in dusty shelves of government offices. Documents received from MHA under RTI show entrenched resistance from the senior levels of Police and bureaucracy while political executive are seen to be largely indifferent to the Police reforms. A joint advocacy campaign during 2009-10 by 3 NGOs, Common Cause, CHRI (Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative) and FRNV (Foundation for Restoration of National Values) to reform the Delhi Police Act along the lines proposed in the Model Police Act, 2006 was successfully resisted by the bureaucracy and the Delhi police.

WHO IS DRIVING THIS INITIATIVE?

A group of highly respected NGOs and individuals who have served or are serving in Police, Government, Private Sector or NGOs at very senior levels have decided to launch a campaign to generate widespread but informed public demand for police reforms across 9 states - Bihar, U.P., Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and A.P. Law and order and Police is a state subject as per our Constitution. This campaign is for a police service which works for and is accountable to the people of our country. The campaign is not about police-bashing but about building trust between the police service and the people of our country. The campaign aims at helping bring about changes which would align police functioning with the felt needs of the people and the society and transform prevailing adversarial relationship between the police service and the people resulting from colonial and feudal mind set, to one based on mutual trust and respect. The campaign would be owned by the people who join this campaign and by those, who are motivated to change things and would like to join the campaign but prevented from doing so for whatever reason. Student communities and youths are expected to provide the driving energy to this campaign.

WHAT THE CAMPAIGN AIMS TO ACHIEVE: 1. Police must change from Rulers Police into Peoples Police. Its role, functions, duties and responsibilities towards people must be explicitly defined by law. 2. The police must impartially uphold and enforce the law of the land. Wrongful executive interference and its stranglehold over policing functions must cease. 3. Police behavior towards the common man should be marked by empathy and respect. Police must be sensitive to the special needs of women, children and the disadvantaged and poorer sections of society. 4. Police recruitment, transfer and promotion processes must be made transparent. 5. All Police personnel at Police Stations and Police Chowkis must receive behavioral training and up-gradation courses on current laws as well as technological innovations at least once in 3 years and also at the time of promotion. 6. Police infrastructure manpower, transport, communications, and forensic support must improve substantially at Police Station level. 7. All police personnel, from Constable upwards should be able to earn at least three promotions in their service career. Housing and job related risk insurance must be provided to all police personnel and their family. A policeman should not, in normal course, be on duty for more than eight hours at a stretch. 8. An effective and independent system of police accountability must be immediately established at District and State level by setting up District and State Police Complaints Authorities as directed by the Supreme Court. 9. A mechanism must be set up for police interaction with and accountability to the community through well publicized open meetings, monthly meetings at the Police Station (Thana) level and quarterly meetings at SP/DCP level. 10. The Model Police Act, 2006 must be legislated into law by each state and sincerely implemented in letter and spirit.

ROAD MAP: Over the last few years, several cases have shown that: Government responds to strong, unified public opinion. The middle class is finally actively participating in effecting reforms. The younger generation is becoming increasingly restive and aware of its role in building an India that will be a better India. The younger generation has found its voice and is beginning to be heard. Hence, the plan is to launch a major public opinion building operation to achieve the maximum effect in the shortest possible time, and to prevail upon political parties to institute integrated police reforms which achieve the ten (10) aims enumerated above. The initial launch is through social media viz. Facebook, You-Tube, Google group, emails and SMSs which become viral. WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN IN THIS EFFORT TO TRANSFORM INDIA? If your answer to the above question is yes, we would like invite you to identify local activists in various towns and district centres and we would provide information to them about the nature of reforms we need. These activists and their team would then be expected to activate an informed campaign with local population and with local MLAs, MPs and other political functionaries. Join this campaign by responding to peoplespolicecampaign@gmail.com or by SMS to 09810845627 or 09810647137. Forward this communication to your friends, relatives and colleagues so as to convert the campaign into a popular public demand for Peoples Police which works for us, the people and is accountable to the law and to us.

We have waited for 66 years since independence. We, the people of India, must now have a Police Service which we would want to like, trust and respect. You can make it happen.

If you want change, make it happen.