Claiming credit for police modernisation throughout the country, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa told the Assembly on Wednesday that it was her pioneering efforts in 1991 to upgrade the weaponry, equipment and infrastructure available to the State police that resulted in the implementation of the Modernisation of Police Force (MPF) scheme in all States with Central assistance.
Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for Police and Fire and Rescue Services departments, she said that in the aftermath of Rajiv Gandhi's assassination in 1991, she had approached the Centre seeking Rs.30-crore assistance to provide modern arms and ammunition, vehicles and other facilities to the State police for establishing law and order.
Obsolete weapons
“At that time, the LTTE menace was rocking the State. Our policemen had obsolete weapons like muskets and .303 rifles, whereas the LTTE, one of the dreaded terrorist organisations in the world, had the most modern arms and ammunition. The police were in no position to match terrorist groups at that time and I was under a compelling necessity to protect law and order with such a poorly equipped force.”
With Central funds and the State's own finances, she went about the task of modernising the State police, providing its personnel with AK-47 and MP5 rifles and establishing digital microwave network to link all stations. A bomb detection and disposal squad was also set up.
“It was only after looking at the transformation of the Tamil Nadu Police that other States began asking the Union government for funds to upgrade their own police forces. The government I headed was the leader in the field of police modernisation. And I can proudly say I was the pioneer behind the modernisation of police force scheme.”
She said the Centre began allocating funds under the MPF scheme in 2001, with the State governments matching the Union government's grants. Later, the Central component was stepped up progressively and now the Union government's share was 75 per cent.
Later, Ms. Jayalalithaa announced that a proposal to spend Rs.134.26 crore in 2011-12 under the MPF scheme had been sent to the Centre. The State's share would be Rs.33.57 crore. Last year's MPF allotment was Rs.122.74 crore, with the Centre contributing Rs.92.06 crore.
In the course of her reply, the Chief Minister appealed to people to show great respect for the police and the military, as their sacrifices for the country were unparalleled. Unlike others, police and military personnel had no right to question the orders of their superiors and had to face great danger during counter-insurgency operations.
She was often reminded of Lord Tennysons's lines from The Charge of the Light Brigade: “Theirs not to make reply/ Theirs not to reason why/ Theirs but to do and die.” While everybody had a right to refuse anything that endangered their lives, this right was not available to the armed forces. “Everybody should bear this in mind and give them due respect.”
