Role models in uniform

How do you arrange for your meals when you go out on tour?’ asked the DIG (Police) of Ferozepur range when I called on him after having joined as SP (Headquarters) at Faridkot, which was then a part of Ferozepur range. ‘Sir, I get the meals from a dhaba,’ I replied. ‘It’s good you don’t depend on SHOs of police stations for the purpose. However, dhaba food may affect your health in the long run. A better arrangement would be to carry your ration in a wooden box in your jeep and ask the chowkidar of the rest house where you stay to cook for you. You may tip him for his service,’ he advised me.

I followed his advice. However, I soon discovered that the arrangement was not economically viable. So, I gave it up and reverted to dhaba food. The DIG who gave me this advice in 1975 was none else than CK Sawhney, a 1955-batch IPS officer who passed away two months ago at the age of 90.

In 1983, I got posted as SP in the CBI, at Chandigarh. JS Bawa (1951, IPS) of Punjab was the CBI Director. He once came visiting the branch. While interacting with me, a relative of his dropped in, and he introduced me to him. Many days later, the relative approached me for arranging a refill of the cooking gas cylinder as the supply was scarce those days. I got it done. One day, he asked me if I could provide him with a vehicle for dropping him at the railway station as he had to catch Shatabdi for Delhi. I sent him a CBI car.

That afternoon, I received a call from the Director. ‘How is the work going on?’ he enquired. ‘Good, sir,’ I replied. ‘And my relative has been praising you a lot,’ he said. I felt puffed up, missing the sarcasm in the statement. ‘A gas refill was all right but you shouldn’t have lent him the official vehicle.’ His tone was forthright and stern. I apologised.

After some time, he retired, and called me to say that he would be reaching Chandigarh the next day at 9 pm by a Haryana Roadways bus. ‘I require a vehicle at the bus stand to drop me at my residence,’ he said. I knew he would not like to use the official car. I offered to arrange one from the Punjab Police. ‘Why? You had purchased a second-hand car when I was DIG (CID) in Punjab.’

He remembered it as I had reported the transaction, as per rules. ‘I will bring my car, sir,’ I said, grasping the underlying message.

Bawa is now 94. Sawhney and Bawa professed what they preached, and conveyed the lessons to their subordinates at the right time.