ABSTRACT
A large number of police officers have published their memoirs after retiring from active duty (Saha 1989; Lobo 1992; Ribeiro 1999; Raman 2008; Shah 1992). Without exception, almost all such memoirs lament the sorry state of affairs of the police and blame the politicians and civilian bureaucrats for the malaise. Thus, Dhillon (2005) states that an opportunistic, corrupt, and self-serving political leadership and ruling class is ruining the country. N. K. Singh (1996) brings out the inside story of important cases related to Sanjay Gandhi’s involvement in burning films of Kissa Kursi Ka, Mrs. Gandhi’s arrest at the behest of Charan Singh, and deliberate attempts by senior politicians and bureaucrats to implicate V. P. Singh in a forgery case. Joginder Singh (1999) narrates his experiences in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he faced pressure for his investigation of important cases like the Bofors scandal involving Rajiv Gandhi and the fodder scandal involving Lallo Yadav. Interestingly, most of the writers also prescribe reforms that begin with the demand for putting an end to political interference in police operations and the plea to implement the recommendations of the National Police Commission (NPC). Most books appear to cast the author in a heroic mold, battling the evil politicians and the conspiring bureaucrats. Few of the books analyze the failures to bring about significant transformation in the police administration. None of the above-mentioned authors could make any radical change in the police system when they served in senior positions.
