The New Chiefs

Our Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF) will have new chiefs next week as the current ones retire.  These two security agencies have a thirty-year service period. We are losing capable professionals due to such provision. The current IGP and eight AIGs will retire on the same day next week as they complete their thirty-year service in Nepal Police.

Why on earth do we need eight AIGs?. We had two earlier in the 90s. Then, our successive Home Ministers decided to add more along the way to promote their near and dear ones. 

We now have so many DIGs and SSPs that they don't even have much to do. Decades ago, the departments headed by SPs are now headed by DIGs and in the future don't be surprised if we have a SP heading a police beat in the capital. 

It think it's about time our incompetent government amend the Nepal Police Act and also increase the retirement age to at least 60. It will save us billions of Rupees in benefits and pensions as well.

But of course, our corrupt government does not want to end the thirty-year service period because they want to promote their near and dear ones without any regard to merit and seniority. And we all know that boras of cash change hands when it comes to appointing folks at top positions in our government agencies.

The Kangaroos and the Meowist had earlier agreed that one would choose the Nepal Police chief and the other one would get to choose the person to head the APF. 

Yes, our politicians set aside quotas for everything, be it Supreme Court Judges, Ambassadors, Hakim Sahebs and anyone who wants to head any of our public agencies. Yes, our political parties need their near and dear ones at the top positions so that the appointees can help the parties when it comes to funds and misuse of state property and more.

The Meowist have already decided whom to appoint to head the APF. But our conmen are fighting amongst themselves when it comes to the new Nepal Police chief. Our Home Minister who did not get along that well with the current IGP wants DIG Silwal to head the Nepal police while our King from Dadeldhura wants his man DIG Chand.

Our Home Minister Nidhi has interfered in promotion and postings of police officers repeatedly. Well, most Home Ministers do interfere regularly but Nidhi has topped the charts when it comes to only focusing on transfers and promotions and nothing else. 

But when it comes to the 'IGP' game, DIG Silwal is the most senior officer whereas DIG Chand is third in line. Both are competent police officers. Well, all our police wallahs are competent folks but they have to play the 'power' game and bow under pressure to our mantris and politicians now and then.

And due to the thirty-year service period, our IGPs rarely get to serve for three years. Our current IGP got lucky. But the ones after him will get to serve a year or two and go home. 

We all know that our police officers who are promoted to DIGs and above need close connections with our politicians. Only merit will not carry you that far and when time comes, you need to be prepared to offer boras of cash to our mantris to get the top job as well. 

It's sad that our Nepal Police, despite performing well without any adequate resources, is now nothing but a playground for corrupt cops to climb the ladder while competent and hardworking cops retire early. 

The APF is busy protecting foreign embassies, INGOs and our mantris. And yes, they are at the border as well but they too have learned the tricks and are engaged in smuggling and allowing illegal activities in the border areas. 

Our Nepal Police does not have a good image at all. The public is more scared of the police wallahs than the mundrey gundas. Not much has changed since the 90s. Our police wallahs continue to use the laathi and boots to harass the public. So far, we have yet to get a Home Minister and a Police Chief who get along and want to reform the police force. 

First, we need to get rid of the 'Police Mero Sathi' campaign. Nepal Police is not our friend. Even the constable at the check point can swear at you, act like he owns this country and threaten to take you to jail and beat you up if you dare to question his attitude and policing. 

If Nepal Police really wants to be our friend then they must first learn how to speak like civilized folks.  Yes, they have sworn to protect the public and not to loot the public. Why do our police wallahs be it constables to senior officers use vulgar words when it comes to interacting with the public? 

Why can't our police wallahs address the public as 'Sir' and 'Maam' instead of 'Tailey Khojya Ho?' when the public reminds them that we, the taxpayers pay their salaries and their job is to help us and not the mundrey gundas, con artists and our politicians?

Nepal Police is not going to change overnight. It will probably never change. It's been the same since the days of the Pancheys. Yes, they have changed the color of their dress from Khaki to Blue but the attitude, policing and brutality continue to remain the same. 

And at the end of the day, it's the government who gets to amend the Nepal Police Act and reform the police force. Until the day our politicians change and work together to make our police wallahs professional and public-friendly, we will continue to be scared of our cops. Our police wallahs should not forget that they are public servants and their main job is to fight against injustice.

Guffadi is a grumpy old man who blogs at guffadi.blogspot.com. You may contact him at maguffadi@gmail.com