Police falter in crisis situations in caste-sensitive state

Police laxity in handling sensitive situations has often triggered serious law and order crises, sometimes resulting in the politicisation of issues—especially when a Dalit angle is involved in caste-sensitive regions of Haryana.

A recent case in Hisar on July 7, where the alleged mishandling of a petty law and order matter of playing DJ music at night led to the death of a youth, Ganesh Balmiki, brought these issues to the fore. Opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, raised the issue on X, forcing CM Nayab Singh Saini to intervene to end the 11-day deadlock with the protesting family.

This underscores the urgent need for modernisation of the Haryana Police, in terms of training and equipment that are needed to manage volatile situations. While policing inherently involves risk, it is crucial that cops are equipped and trained to de-escalate, not inflame, a crisis.

The 2016 Jat reservation agitation, which necessitated Army and paramilitary deployment, had similarly exposed gaps in the state’s policing apparatus. Similar caste-related violence incidents occurred during the tenure of Bhupinder Singh Hooda government at Mirchpur (Hisar) and Gohana (Sonepat).

Referring to the Hisar incident, Vikram Mittal, an advocate, said irrespective of any criminal charges, the police must act with restraint to prevent loss of life. “In Ganesh’s case, the police appeared to use disproportionate force instead of enforcing the law judiciously,” he said. Often, the police resort to a lathicharge as a first response, drawing public ire and damaging the force's credibility.

Besides, there are officers with a ‘trigger-happy’ mindset who see 'encounters' as a crime-control method. In 2005, during the Hooda regime, the police resorted to encounters to make Haryana crime-free, and similar pressure is now mounting on the Nayab Singh Saini government. “Encouraging such actions under the guise of controlling crime undermines the justice system,” Mittal cautioned.

Dilwar Singh, president of the Haryana Police Sangathan, stressed the need for proper training and resources. “Police personnel act on the instructions of senior officers, who dance to the tunes of politicians in power. Of the total 60,000-strong force—from constables to inspectors—over 50% are assigned to VIP duties. Remaining forces in the police stations are not well trained and also ill-equipped and often risk their lives during crisis situations,” he said.

Singh also pointed out that while the Centre had set up nine commissions for police reforms, none of their recommendations have been implemented.

However, a silver lining has emerged in the form of the Haryana Government’s Rs 150 crore budgetary allocation for police modernisation. Recently, the State-Level Empowered Committee, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Sumita Misra, approved a State Action Plan worth Rs 22.09 crore for 2025-26. The plan includes the procurement of advanced arms like pistols and CQB machine guns, FSL equipment, including facial recognition software, polygraph systems, advanced microscopes, high-tech communication tools, security systems, and training equipment. The committee also emphasised upgrading mobility, strengthening police infrastructure, improving forensic capabilities, and incorporating emerging technologies and data analytics into policing.