The lost art of policing a protest

In 2020, when communal violence was raging in northeastern parts of the National Capital, the government brought in a senior IPS officer, S.N. Shrivastava, to head the Delhi police force, taking over from Amulya Patnaik who retired amid criticism of being unable to control the riots that killed over 50 people. New Delhi had witnessed the worst spate of violence in decades as violence spilled onto streets over the citizenship law as frenzied mobs torched houses, shops and vehicles pelting stones at the police. Memories of violent rampage in JNU, where many students and teachers were injured in rioting and assault by masked men right under the nose of Delhi cops, was still fresh in the memory of Delhiites, who questioned the role of the police force in tackling protests before they take an ugly turn.

With Parliament’s monsoon session on the horizon and continuing protests over repeated examination paper leaks and gaps in education policy led by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and Cockroach Janta Party, the out-of-turn appointment of a new police commissioner, Anurag Kumar, has triggered a debate over policing strategy and whether the Delhi police will adopt a fresh approach on July 20 when large crowds are likely to gather in central Delhi, particularly in areas surrounding the protest site at Jantar Mantar where protesters are planning to march towards Parliament House. The American embassy has already warned its citizens, asking them to steer clear of “gathering of politicians and activists” even as added caution is needed when “250 national farmer organisations” arrive in Delhi on motorcycles to protest at Kisan Ghat .

Politically, the Aam Aadmi Party’s charge that the Union home ministry replaced senior IPS officer Satish Golcha to facilitate the “forced” removal of Sonam Wangchuk from the protest site by the new chief has given fresh fodder to the Opposition parties who are joining hands with the protesters to corner the government.

Officially, Delhi police sources claim it is a routine administrative change. But the timing of the transition has once again set tongues wagging on the handling of protesters who have for long used the Capital as their stage to voice grievances against policies of the central government.

Already, the space for protests has shrunk in the Capital as wide range of organisations keen to raise issues from civil strife in Manipur, climate issues in Ladakh to faulty education policies are jostling for space at Jantar Mantar. Most days, the cops who are tasked to grant permissions for peaceful marches are handling overlapping dates, forcing protesters to count numbers to assess if their voice will not get drowned in competing spaces with other groups. Some are already shifting dates to descend in Delhi only when they are confident of getting time and space to protest. One of the groups from northeast that was keen to protest last month returned home seeing the CJP build up in the Capital.

There was a time when Delhi cops were seen sharing cups of tea with protesters at Jantar Mantar, or even showing deference to the cause by allowing them to erect tents, create space for drinking water facilities over a longer period of time. The need for surveillance, CCTVs, or plain clothesmen wasn’t a security prerequisite, but times have changed since drastically.

The Capital has witnessed a spate of protests in more than a decade. The Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement saw Delhiites on scooters with the Indian flag reaching the protest site early morning in 2011, just as they swarmed Rajpath in 2012 climbing onto Raisina Hill to hold demonstrations outside North Block and held candle light march forcing the government to bring out an ordinance that finally shaped the anti-rape laws in the country. More recently, the wrestlers protests, farmers agitation and anti-CAA protests have captured the attention of the masses.

At the same time, some other gatherings that were allegedly supporting the front organisations of the banned Maoists, pro-Khalistan outfits threatening to disrupt peace in the Capital and alleged links of few others with inimical elements on foreign soil have driven Delhi cops to not only narrow down the space for protests but also deploy new age gadgets to record movements and put more boots on the ground to ensure no untoward incident takes place. The new commissioner is aware of these threats having helmed Delhi’s State Intelligence Bureau department.

But the experience of Jantar Mantar has clearly changed on ground. Today, the Delhi police’s personal touch has been lost in the melee as the beat constable can no longer ignore the directions of his seniors to keep a strict watch on the crowds and senior officers can no longer afford to let the protesters run amok in the city.

Ironically, the tighter the space has become, the voice of the dissenters has also become more potent. Probably, that explains why Wangchuk was picked up by the police on Saturday and transported to a hospital where he is refusing medical attention. The police is now asking protesters who came with Wangchuk to vacate the protest site to comply with the court orders. The protesters remain unconvinced.

Interestingly, what remains missing perhaps is the need to communicate with the protesters effectively beyond law enforcement. It isn’t Wangchuk’s removal from Jantar Mantar that the police needs to defend, experts believe what they need to explain more effectively is the reason behind it.

“I have met Wangchuk in the past and have immense regard for him. Considering his life was in danger because he has been on fast for past 21 days, I think it is justified to take him to the hospital even with some use of force,” says senior IPS officer Prakash Singh, architect of police reforms in the country.

“Wangchuk is a national asset and his life is more precious than the hunger strike,” he says. Simply put, such an argument might have proved more effective had it been communicated in the right manner at the right time to the protesters. It may have even saved a few stressful moments for Delhi police. The next challenge, however, has now begun with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke sitting on hunger strike. But there is no one size fits all for policing protests. Food for thought for Delhi cops?