Chief Minister O Ibobi reiterated the need for community participation in prevention of crime in the aftermath of the Moirangkhom bomb blast which had a saddening effect on many as three innocent lives were lost and many were injured. Here, it will be pertinent to seek some knowledge from the chief minister himself if there is an appropriate policy or programme in existence to address the nature of collaboration between civilians, CSOs and law enforcement agencies in preventing crime. Because, the chief minister’s hope of ensuring security in the state, or perhaps initially in the Imphal municipality areas where AFSPA had been somehow rendered toothless, or reducing the level of crime need the implementation and contribution from an efficient crime prevention programme. Apart from wishful thinking, the state must introduce a mechanism through which the people of Manipur will contribute in the management of their safety and consequently help in the reduction of crime in their neighbourhood. Such an arrangement
will prove handy not just in preventing highly organised attacks like the ongoing series of blasts but in reversing the upward trend of commonly occurring crimes like vehicle theft, arsons, rapes, homicides etc. Collaboration between the police and public cannot be relied alone on the blind hope of arbitrary approach from the latter in response to the circulation of relevant instructions and contact numbers during taxing times. Or, public raising the alarm from chance discoveries like in the case of Moidangpok blast, also happening on Wednesday.
At the same time, the government needs to start paying serious attention on overhauling the intelligence wing of the state police department. Granted, both the chief minister and Director General of Police have tactfully mentioned within a day of each other about forthcoming schemes for transformation of the severely impaired intelligence service to increase their worthiness, but then the ephemeral joy is overshadowed by skepticism stemming from the disconcerting reminder that similar promises were announced earlier but never executed.
Among other things the series of bomb blast this month have a seemingly taunting reverberation. Two of them were within hearing distance of City Police. The most devastating one was triggered within a one kilometer perimeter of important establishments that included the CM Bungalow, Police Headquarter, Imphal Police Station and 1st MR. While the administration brainstorms to curb attack at public places it might as well take up the issue of safeguarding important police installations.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2013/10/making-blast-a-thing-of-the-past/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=making-blast-a-thing-of-the-past