When their mere glance burnt the grass

When their mere glance burnt the grass

                                   

Rajbir Deswal

I was happy to see at a Railway Officers Club recently, many of its members being happy and active octogenarians. Also it is heart-warming to see Army officers giving due respect to their old hats. Teachers are satisfactorily, if not gainfully engaged, post retirement. Judges remain in demand till their last breath.

Advocates and politicians never retire. Senior bureaucrats retire, but stay still useful to further adorn chairpersonship of NGOs. But I am afraid, police officers after hanging their boots are comparatively lesser placed on the happiness quotient.I witnessed while traveling on Shatabdi, a retired Inspector General of Police trying to put his luggage on the shelves above with hard labour all by himself.

I also witnessed the other day a retired Director General of Police along with an Army General, pacifying an infuriated Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, when on their way to the Golf Club, the tee remained sticking out of the boot.

Yet another instance that put me to much shame was when a retired police officer had other still serving juniors of him, whispering near expletives on his being sighted at a function.

These officers, when they were at the helm of affairs wielded unfettered powers and commanded influence to the extent that ‘if they puff-hurled a strong breath at someone, the latter would remain suspended in air for some time.’Also that, when they moved Caesar-like, ‘a glance from them would burn the green grass around’.

These defunct men were once upon a time pampered with adjectival attributes, and titles such as--Motiyon wale- generous; Banda parva’-nourisher; Sahab bahadur’ – brave savior and Alijaah-God- like. Anybody having their eyes and ears would be envied for being the officer’s Manzoore nazar’- the favourite one.

I think my grandfather’s elder brother Ch. Jai Ram Singh a police officer in PEPSU days was a wise man who could foresee a retired future for him, when none in his department would look at him but with a stranger’s eye and attitude. He had to depose in an enquiry into a dispute involving an Inspector and a Constable. When he sided with Constable, the guilty Inspector asked him later, as to why did he not support his equal-ranking colleague and instead a minion.

He replied “Look Inspector Sahab, some ten years from now, if you will meet me in a bus or a train, you may only ask as to how I was doing.

But if this minion should even spot me there ever, he would not only rush and grab my bag to hold but would also offer his seat and would genuinely be happy on meeting me.” The common refrain at a cop’s farewell is—How lucky of you to have returned from the battle, unscathed!”