Recently, the home minister Sri Devender Goud has announced some major changes in the functioning of the police. The three critical changes deal with: abolition of the outdated and inhuman “Orderly” system, introduction of citizen’s charters for various services, and removal of the responsibility of guarding the treasuries. All the three are welcome changes and the government should be commended for initiating these measures.

The recent episode of a high ranking official personally intervening in a case in Hyderabad once again brought to the fore the problems of policing in our society. As a result of colonial legacy, there is a perception that the police think and function as an oppressive force instead of fulfilling their role as guardians of law and order. In reality police perform their duties honestly and every year hundreds lay down their lives in the line of duty.

We often rightly complain about chaotic traffic on our streets and lawlessness in our society. Hyderabad City is a prime example of both these scourges. All visitors tell us that if you can navigate the Hyderabad traffic successfully, you can drive anywhere in the world without fear! And yet we fail to realize that the problem is not with the police, but with us. We neither seem to care for traffic rules, nor do we take responsibility for our actions.