Hyderabad: Crimes against women remain a blot on our society. Let us all resolve to bring about transformational changes, said President Droupadi Murmu during an interaction with the Officer Trainees of Indian Police Service (IPS) of 74th batch here at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on December 27, 2022.

“You have to ensure that a girl travelling alone at late hours feels safe. Everyone has to ensure that fellow citizens follow the Fundamental Duty of renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women as stated in our Constitution,” she said in her address on the occasion.

The President said: “When the country is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ the nation acknowledges the rich contribution of our police force in sustaining and strengthening the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy.”

She said that “the burden of colonial past and feudal habits still affects many aspects of behaviour and governance in our country. That is why, liberation from the mindset of slavery, for those who still retain it, has been identified as one of the national priorities.”

“Let us always remember the simple fact that the colonial powers developed policing-systems based on consent and participation of citizens in their own countries. But they promoted policing based on fear among citizens in colonies like India,” she said.

Stating that the police are the most visible organ of the government, President Murmu said: “When the police force commands trust of the people, it enhances the image of the government. The police will command respect and trust only when the entire force under you, to the last constable, displays alertness, sensitivity and honesty.”

She said: “As the leaders of your force, you have to keep in mind and demonstrate through action the five fundamental attributes of integrity, impartiality, courage, competence and sensitivity.”

“The responsibility of prevention and detection of crime, and upholding the rule of law, is becoming more complex. Dealing with terrorism, insurgency, militancy, ideology-driven violent extremism, communal violence, large networks of organised crime and other threats to internal security requires high levels of motivation, skills and perseverance,” said the President.

“Cyber-crimes and issues related to social media pose novel challenges. Technology-driven policing is needed to combat hi-tech crimes. Police forces have to be partners in the progress of the country and transformation of the society. Police officers like you are going to play the roles of change-agents in India’s achieving greater prosperity while ensuring sustainable development, especially inclusion,” she said.

“By inclusion, I mean inclusion of that last person, the most deprived person, the most vulnerable person. That person should be at the centre of your concerns. You should be sensitive to the plight of the voiceless. You have to ensure that an illiterate poor man living in a remote corner of the country gets sympathetic support at the local police post,” she added.

Stating that larger participation of women results in better overall development, she said: “I have been told that in Scandinavian countries, women constitute nearly thirty per cent of the police force. It is a fact worth highlighting that the Scandinavian countries, having the largest average women representation in the police, are also among the top-ranking countries in terms of Human Development Indices.”

“We should quickly move ahead from the phase of empowering women to the stage of women-led development. It is already happening in many fields. It must happen in a much bigger way. I must emphasise that women in leadership positions, like the lady police officers sitting here, should always help other women, especially the vulnerable.”

“In fact, if every woman stands up for the weaker ones among them, the society will experience a great transformation. I am happy to note that gender related inputs are integrated into your training modules. I am extremely delighted to know that for the last three successive batches of the IPS, lady officer trainees have been recognised as the best probationers,” she said. /BI/