In Praise Of B.S. Bassi

At a time when loyalty as a commodity is in short supply, the Delhi police commissioner is a stand-out exception. One moment, he is trying to get even with a sitting chief minister on behalf of his political masters; the next moment he is defending a fake tweet that caused his boss international embarrassment. The beauty of Bhim Sain Bassi, for that is his full name, is that he can do all this with a straight face, not a hair out of place. Never letting the fact that he is due to retire in a few days’ time cloud his judgement, he can pick up a young student for being unfaithful to his nation by simply looking at the tape of a TV debate just as he can happily ignore his men being impassive observers while journalists are being pulped in a court of law. In a nation short of heroes, here then is a true example for those aspirants to the Indian Police Force who are smart enough to spot a joke.