Police are those who are empowered to enforce law and order, protect public property and reduce civil disorder. That is the standard definition of police and that is how they actually adhere to their duty elsewhere in the most of the ‘world’ except in a special country called India. Take a closer look at the pic below, sorry for the poor quality as this pic was clicked using my mobile phone.
Let me tell you how good our traffic police are in reality. I was on my way back from an ATM close to my home. FoodWorld signal to be precise near Banashankari 3rd Stage. A traffic police jeep having around 3-4 cops in it was parked on the roadside where there is a strict ‘No Parking’ sign boards all over the shown stretch. Right next to that jeep, there is a small table on top of which you can find all possible new movie DVDs for sale on the foot path. These DVDs are sold at a very economical (read it right, it is not ‘cheap’) price of around 60 rupees for one! You will find movies of all regional languages as well as those block busters from HollyWood and BollyWood.Of course the seller of those DVDs was under the shadow to keep himself away from the afternoon sunlight, in fact he was next to me when I clicked the above pic. This table is placed in such a way that it causes inconvenience to pedestrians walking through the foot path.
Soon after the jeep was parked, all the cops came out of it except the driver and moved towards the other side of the road where they are offered *free* juices to quench the summer thirst. Strange that these cops don’t even bother to question the DVDs seller. Forget about questioning, they didn’t even bother to notice the presence of that pirated DVDs table. Even if they noticed, they ignored as if everything was normal. Of course it is very normal in our country. No matter what kind of ‘Kill Piracy’ movements the music and movie industry folks do, our law enforcement authorities are always blind towards such vendors. May be the cops are *paid* their routine fee on a daily basis.
Our intelligent cops do hide behind the left over trees at turnings and catch those two wheeler defaulters who jump signals or those who drive without helmets. Also, they never miss an opportunity to stop and levy hefty fines citing various reasons, if they catch hold of a good bakra! Thus our cops accomplish the great task of protecting and enforcing piracy to survive like never before along with their regular *fines* collection! Shouldn’t we all salute our brave cops? They deserve a loud applause for sure… No?
Puneet says
Hi, good to see your blog & your interest in the nation, politics & issues like corruption. I had been to Freedom Park, Bangalore to support the Anna Hazare team recently. I have shared my experience on my blog [+] . Do have a look.
Sorcerer says
Its..the real face of law enforcement!
How ironical!
Mohan says
It is reality too! And the same vendor is still happily selling his pirated stuff 🙂
Prateek says
The huge population that works in the cine field did not get a bonus when Three Idiots grossed over 300 crores in 10 days, but Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Rajkumar Hirani have sure made USA their “second home”.
And a simple bill passed in the parliament could change the illegal into legal. Quoting Dhirubhai Ambani, “We cannot change our Rulers, but we can change the way they Rule Us.” 🙂
Mohan says
Well, I am sorry, but we are comparing apples to oranges here!
Prateek says
I wish they made original movies available at the price of a pirated dvd! In THAT eventuality piracy will cease to exist, but on second thoughts who will pay for Amitabh’s Rolls Royce or Shahrukh’s condo in London?
Given the present circumstances, I fail to understand why should we not support piracy?
Mohan says
Nice thoughts.. but they were all bought legally by the mentioned celebrities! Similarly, it is not just few, but there is a huge population that works in the cine field to make their living. Piracy is an easy way to hit on their right. We shouldn’t support piracy because it ‘ILLEGAL’, period.
lakshmi says
I agree with Mohan.If one has a problem with something, say the price of an orginal dvd, one has to tackle the issue at its base and not support illegal activities because we dont subscribe to it. That is the problem with us Indians, we try to draw our own lines as per convenience to justify what is wrong and what is right. Make no mistake, we usually come up with all the reasoning to suit what we find convenient to do, and not from an alien perspective. That is why it is so hard to maintain law and order, and why corruption is such a huge problem in our society. Ethics, morality have very clearly defined lines unlike the popular belief that there is no right or wrong.
Mohan says
Thanks for sharing similar thoughts!
Prateek says
Hmmm…. the corruption thing is right but I would beg to disagree with the piracy thingy. Piracy? why not? What has shahrukh done so monumental that he deserves to be so overpaid, why shouldn’t he work for a monthly salary instead? The picture quality of these dvds is so bad that no movie lover would buy them. They are mostly bought by poor people who can’t afford to go to movies or by kids who have to make do with a meager allowance. I don’t think you would want a rickshaw puller to skip his dinner for a week to be able to go to a movie !
Mohan says
I see your point, but entertainment at a cost of paying so much would certainly not be their choice either! Again I fail to understand why should we support piracy? Can’t we make the original ones are made available at affordable prices?
nalini hebbar says
Made in the USA…Ullasnagar Sindhi Association…that was a joke in the 1980’s.
But it really true…I think life under the colonial masters has made the Indian ready to do the worst and has learnt to avoid detection…has made us slimy, I should say.
My friends downunder and in the Uk tell me that Indians there are very good at finding loopholes even in their systems…things like free limited Xerox for students and the ‘return if not satisfied with in 20 days’ online mobile purchase.
I guess the change has to start at home…by parents who teach righteousness.
Mohan says
Rightly said! It has to start within but for those who don’t we need these cops. Now the cops too need to learn what is right and what is not 🙁
Raymond Cardoza says
Your simply Crazy
Mohan says
am I?
Journomuse says
Well, as a journalist in India, I have seen a lot of this…I guess, it’s about the policemen only see what they want to see…What they are not ‘mandated’ to see, they won’t….This is a good example of citizen journalism, Mohan…great work…you must send it in to some news channels or paper. Im sure Bangalore Mirror would love to publish it, it deserves to be…Nothing much might come out of it..but this photo is worth a 1000 words…Cheers!
Mohan says
Thank you Journomuse! Yes, that is happening in parallel and this article will be in media soon 🙂
Jayant Bhat says
Its a big nexus. Right from the local corporator to the Big Rich Ministers. Tell me a place where you dont see this nexus. I stay in the central suburb of Mumbai called as Dombivli. So called area having highest density of literate people. This has become a common sight: Just Squeeze yourself out of the local trains of Mumbai, Pop out of Railway Stations, See the line of Small Shanty type shops selling all kinds of Electronic Items, Fruits/Vegetables,Clothes AND ABOVE ALL PIRATED CD’s/DVD’s. There is an octroi Naka next to station. how many such shop owners have paid octroi.At our place, we get DVD’s of 4 Movies for 45-55 bucks.
Cops by default are sitting in close proximity. At one end of Railway Station, Ramnagar Police Station and Trafiic Police Station is barely few meters away from the Station. At the other end, we have KDMC i.e. Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation Building. I’ve clicked a Snap showing both the Pirated CD Seller and KDMC Bldg in one frame. In fact they are diagonally opp to each other in sides of road. REcently, I had been to goa through the JanShatabdi express and one vendor took a bundle of DVD’s and publically selling the DVD’s. I checked about piracy and legality. He yelled, “aise darenge to Jeeyenge kaise. Hawaldar ko Aise hi khilate hai kya”.
to Next to KDMC, you can see Autowalla’s taking ownership of road right uptil middle of the road even though there is no rickshaw stand. Come on the fly over, you will see a line of vegetable vendors making it difficult for us to walk. Enter the Police station to lodge a complaint, check out the time they take to talk to you and write down the complaint. You will get frustrated and walk out of the police station. I was made to sit for over one hour when i went to lodge a complaint about theft of Car Tape. Will I ever go to a Police Station again.
I am planning for a public exhibition once I am done with around 500 pics with a theme of Corruption. But at the end of all this, when i sit back and think, I come to a conclusion, ITs ALL BECAUSE OF US. WE THE “COMMON MAN” ENCOURAGE ALL THIS. I HAVE DECIDED TO VOICE OUT IN PUBLIC by way of exhibitions. I KNOW THE RISK INVOLVED IN THIS. But within six months, My first public Exhibition will be out. LEts join hands together and save India. We all know one thing: 100 mein se 80 beimaan, phir mera Bharat Mahaan. Ek se Ek milke bante hai Gyaraah, Fight Corruption together and sahi karo Bharat ko Mahaan.
Mohan says
Wow.. that in interesting. Wishing you all the best with your initiative Jayant. Feel free to use this photo if want. Let me know if you need any help for promoting that exhibition.
Lakshmi says
I think in this case, the ethics apply the same to bystanders (like us) and traffic police. It is not in their contract duty to apprehend these dvd piraters but a sense of moral ethic value should have made them do so. In any literature on ethics, you will also find that knowing about an offense and not reporting it is also an offense. so, we as observers when we donot atleast bring the matter to the attention of the right authorities are also guilty of an offense, as guilty as the traffic cops here.
Mohan says
Complaining this with local bodies will just get ignored like these traffic cops have done. I have taken the blog mode to spread the word and there by to attract the media focus on this issue. Pretty soon, hope this will be picked up by some media folks then the change happening in massive numbers. Soon or later you will start seeing the results of this article and the day these people will get a lesson isn’t too far.
Tavish says
That’s the sad story all over the country. At least there they stop people who dont wear helmets and jump the signal. In Hyderabad, they dont even do that. The traffic cop near my house is bussy eating something all day.(no wonder he has a huge belly) and the few times that they do stop ppl is when a festival is approaching and they have to finish their *targets*
Mohan says
Well, they stop vehicles for a reason. The motto being collecting as much as ransom as possible than actually to enforce law. I have seen some fake bills being produced by such cops upon the defaulters paying fines in violation of rules.
lostworld says
I hope the press read this & this article is published. Not that it is going to make an overnight difference ..yet!
Mohan says
I shall push this article to be published in the media. Hope to see some change in their behavior at least.
Swaram says
They r happy talking on the phone while riding their bikes too .. talk abt ‘practice before u preach’ 🙁
Mohan says
They do lot more things than the ones mentioned. Less we speak about them, better the positive vibes among us atleast!
keerthana says
Yup! this is what happens here day in and day out. The same corner is also the favorite haunt of cops, who hide like thieves and catch traffic ” offenders”
Mohan says
Absolutely. I have seen many RTO inspectors hiding like thieves as you have rightly mentioned 😀
Sriharsha says
A cop or a citizen have to never forget their social responsibilities. In this case, you did your work :). And talking about the cops in India, I just saw many of these incidents; they won’t change, if we, citizens won’t change. Big or small, every stone counts in building a great nation.
This was wake up mail to me 😀 glad that I read it …… And the pic was great
Mohan says
Thank you Sriharsha! Nice to see your comment here after a long break 🙂
kavita says
Mohan ,practice of this kind is rampant in our country….we have a particular spot in our city where two traffic policemen stand with long bamboo-sticks …now one of the end of these sticks is slit about 5-6 inches….now why ?as the trucks carrying goods pass bye,the policemen point this ends at the truck driver’s window and the driver stuffs the money(rs 10 always)in between those slits.I t was very shocking for the first few times i saw it …..shameful act isn’t it ?
Mohan says
Ah.. that bamboo stick story is much more sick! I wish these folks were in some kind of research institute than being cops. We would have got many nobel prizes by now!
Shweta says
That is intriguing and more so shameful. It is not only at your place, it is all over India and nothing new to say about our efficient and righteous cops. They are at their best as always.
Mohan says
Hi Shweta, thanks for your thoughts… they are truly efficient indeed!
B K Chowla says
It is should be looked at an incident only. The complete system of governance has failed to corruption in the country.
How can we blame a policeman when it is alleged that to the “juicy” police stations the posting is actually sold?
The working conditions are so poor that these people cant do without a juice.
In Karnataka, illegal mining has been going on despite SC notice, haven’t the cops been been blind?Havnt the politicians been blind there?
And-DESH KI SAMPATI HAI-MIL BAANT KAR LOOTI JA RAHI HAI.
Mohan says
I can’t agree more! you have put everything in your comment about the way our civic bodies are functioning.
Krishna Chaitanya says
Jobs in poilce department and secretariat are in high demand for a reason. Most of the public servants from elected representatives to beat constable are in it only for the money.
Mohan says
No wonder people pay hefty bribes to get in to such God’s job… remembered the quote on Vidhana Soudha – ‘Government’s work is God’s work’
Rakesh Mallya says
Hi,
A nice article. But let us look at this issue from a different angle. Why not the people stop buying DVD (pirated) and help curb this problem?
Until everyone raises their hand together, nothing can be done.
Mohan says
Rakesh, i do agree to your point. But the end user would always go for an option that is most beneficial to him. All these halla bol from media and anti-piracy activists is a wasteful effort as long as the officials
can’tdon’t take strict action. There has to be someone with a stick to enforce the laws. God only has to help when such law enforcement officials become law breakers.Neha says
Mohan, isn’t it a case at most of the places? Once our car was towed by traffic people..we asked them the reason..they said that we had parked it in the No Parking Zone..that no parking was well hidden under the covers of one footpath side shop..he was selling some materials and if you happen to lean on tht No Parking pole, still you will fail to notice the sign.
We paid the fine and that guy carried on his business of duplicate stuff RIGHT OUTSIDE RTO..
that was my case..
Mohan says
It is! I have seen such pirated DVD vendors on the foot paths of MG Road (most happening place in Bangalore). They are omnipresent… thanks to our enforcement officials. Well, that is the whole point in putting the no parking board in such highly invisible areas!
Magali Vaz says
What an irony. I have nothing else to say.
Mohan says
🙂 🙂