This Cop Has Generated Hope Among J&K People, Admiration Among His Peers And Unease At The Top

In Jammu and Kashmir, where government often complains that conflict overshadows every other activity of the administration, actions of the IGP traffic Basant Rath has outshined the government and the police. He has generated hope among people, admiration among his peers and unease at the top. So much so that Director General of the Police issued a letter to Rath admonishing him for his “unprofessional conduct.” He had upset his department for going out in civvies. Rath responded to the criticism in his own way: Addressing a function in Jammu, he said, the only thing they found worth criticism was his choice of clothes.

The letter issued by the Director General of Police (DGP) Vaid says, "A number of videos, posts, and pictures are being circulated on social media in which you are seen moving in civvies on the roads doing strange activities unwarranted of a police officer”.

The letter says that his acts are not only illegal, they are "unwarranted of a police officer" and in "utter violation" of the motor vehicle act that says no officer shall do any checking of any vehicle without a proper uniform. The DGP Vaid went on to warn Rath that violation of rules would invite action against him. Rath knows that this will mean a transfer to some other non-descript post and he is not frightened by it. He is used to it. He has been already out of circulation for long.

Unlike other officers, who after being transferred to some insignificant post seek central deputations, Rath says he loves Jammu and Kashmir. "How much I love this place, you will come to know when I retire. I never went for the central deputation," he said at a function in Jammu.

There is so much chaos on the roads in Jammu and Kashmir that the people had presumed this functional chaos as normal. But when Rath set things right in Jammu, people were surprised by the new normal. They found this normality strange. They were happy with it. And many took social media route to thank Mr. Rath. Common people, children when they see Rath on streets, they love to watch him how he manages traffic on the road.

But the elite, who are always surrounded by PSOs, are in shock. There are innumerable such elites and the protected persons in the restive State. A Congress MLA called Rath manic. The NC state spokesman described his style as “shenanigans”.

But Rath means his business. “When I’m working the streets and on the streets, I don’t wish anyone…” reads his yesterday’s Facebook post.

After joining as the IGP traffic, he surprised the police department. He wrote a complaint against senior IPS officer’s son. Then went on social media he announced it: “Friends, I got an Audi car (CH01 BK 7900) seized today. The driver was a young friend with whom I used to play lawn tennis when I was young a century ago. His father is a colleague and an IPS officer in J and K. I’m sad. And I’m happy.” This was an unusual act. Unheard in Jammu and Kashmir. It won him a lot of admirers.

While on the road Rath takes a lead. He himself checks vehicles, directs his subordinates to take action if documents are incomplete, ensures people don’t travel in overloaded buses, and every scooter rider should have a helmet and no one breaks the law. As he started working on the streets, some got worked up and expressed surprise why he has been given a prominent post. And when a story came against him in prominent web portal with a headline, “Centre Wants Action Against IPS Basant Rath, J&K Govt Promotes Him”, Basant shot back: “Dear …., my name is Basant and Departmental Enquiries don’t scare me. My Mom once asked me to laugh them off. That was two centuries ago.”

The web portal had said that Rath became the subject of the IB’s “discreet inquiry” in 2016-17, “on account of his articles in The Wire and The Indian Express” as his articles were “labeled by the IB” as “dangerously critical of the government policy” and “brazen violation of the IPS service conduct Rules”.

His traffic advisories, requests to drive carefully and photographs of cops "violating traffic rules" and his witty posts get likes, comments on social media. They trigger debate too.

Here is his witty one: “My Dear Senior who thinks I’m all gas on Facebook and Twitter and no guts. Please ask your PSOs to drive their bikes without wearing helmets. I’ll ruin their day. And yours. I don’t think I love you”.

His Facebook account keeps buzzing throughout the day. But Twitter handle, @Kangricarrier, of this 2000-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Odisha, has been blocked. Kangri is Kashmir firepot which keeps people warm during the severe winter months in the Valley.

Born in 1972 in a coastal village of Odisha, Rath studied Sociology at Jawaharlal Nehru University and his love of literature is known to everyone. He often refers to Polish poet Maria Wislawa.

“And I’m too intelligent for the intelligence guys. Please don’t trouble me now. Post Script - None of these apply to Wislawa. I have a lot of time and space for her. Ishq hai, mutual funds investment n..”

“Please play a tight game. I’m watching you. And I’m not exactly a nice guy to antagonise. Please be my guest. Your drinks are on me. Cheers.Wislawa says her Hi.”

Some of his posts are very poignant.

“His name is Nazir Ahmed. He had three kids. The youngest one is just 2 months old. He was a traffic cop and he was on duty. A speeding truck hit him at Thanda Padder on the National Highway at 8.30 AM today. He succumbed to his injuries on his way to the hospital.

Nazir is an example of how vulnerable our traffic cops are on the roads.

Not all of us are malingers. Not all of us make illegal money. Not all of us deserve indifference and ridicule. Some of us end up dying while performing our duty.

RIP, Nazir Sa’ab.

Hum wafadar nahin, tu bhi toh dildar nahin.”

As media started calling him Dabangg and Singham while he keeps the wheel moving in Jammu city, Basant took an exception to it. “Dear Media guys, please keep this business of Singham and Dabangg to yourselves. I’m Basant. My Ma chose it for me. Period.”

IPS officer Danesh Rana, himself an author, posted on Facebook: "Cyclones often hit Orissa. J&K has been hit by a cyclone called Basant Rath. Cyclones uproot trees. Basant Rath is planting the seeds of traffic management and discipline and fear of law. I have handled traffic as SSP and DIG, but could not bring a revolution. (Doff my hat to Basant Rath. Kudos!) Love you tiger.''

Hundreds of his fans are waiting for him in Srinagar and are looking forward to how he will manage traffic here. Already people are sending him mails briefing him about the issues. In a way, he is well aware of the problems of Srinagar’s traffic mess. His real test is Lal Chowk. Lal Chowk was named after Red Square, the famous marketplace in Moscow, by some communists in Srinagar who thought of the name Lal Chowk after Lenin seized power in Moscow in 1917. It is here he has to set things right. From Lal Chowk to Dalgate traffic jams, parking on the roads, roadside vendors are issues he will have to confront with and solve. How he deals with it will make difference in the rest of Srinagar.

His love for Srinagar is known. He calls Srinagar his second home. The name of Rath’s first poetry collection is “Own Me Srinagar”.

‘Own me, Srinagar.’

I pray every evening.

Do I own her?

She must be guessing.