On The Edge Of Badlands

Ironically, these very manifestations of modernity and wealth have attracted criminals to this township from neighbouring districts in western Uttar Pradesh. Last year there were 15 instances of shooting in Noida. Cases of theft and chain-snatching is all too common. Ask any resident and he will tell you about the growing sense of insecurity. "I have lived here for 12 years now and till today I just cannot leave the house unattended. Not even for an evening walk with my wife," says S.B. Singh, a resident of Sector 31, referring to the rampant burglaries in his neighbourhood.

Considered to be the brainchild of late Sanjay Gandhi during the Emergency, Noida today has an ugly underbelly. It has often made the headlines for the wrong reasons. Last year it was the dramatic kidnapping of Adobe India CEO Naresh Gupta’s three-year-old son Ananth. Two years ago there were reports of gangsters being killed in police encounters in the Noida-Ghaziabad belt. Now the shame of the township is the brutal killing of children in its Nithari village.

Former Delhi Police commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma, who is a UP cadre IPS officer, says that political interference has been the bane of policing in the state, particularly in a rich district like Noida. "The mindset is still feudal where policing is concerned. The police is just a puppet in the hands of the ruling party. And the biggest resulting aberration is that the police is insensitive to the people, worried only about their masters. Caste and religion are factors in posting officials, and not merit. Noida may have everything but unless the police becomes responsive to the people, it can never become a model district," he says.

On one side, Noida has influential people, including government officials, living in posh sectors like 15 and 15A. On the other, it is still very much a part of the western UP badlands. It is this mix which has made policing difficult since criminals often come from nearby districts, commit crimes and make good their escape. Noida also has a large population of migrants from Bihar and Bangladesh, largely living in small villages like Nithari, nestled next to the upscale bungalows. Complaints from this sizeable but poor population is often ignored by the police.

Criminals have had a free run here because the local administration is totally dismal. Since Noida is booming economically, police postings here have become lucrative. Those with political clout in the government of the day manage to land assignments here and care two hoots about their duties.