An IG of police in Madhya Pradesh was transferred today. In a speech to cadets yesterday, he was heard exhorting them to learn from Ajmal Kasab, the 26/11 terrorist. That, apparently, was a good enough reason to transfer said officer to the boondocks (police HQ as it were, where he can do no mischief; the police equivalent of the detention room I guess). I for one, see no reason for this administrative punishment. I heard the relevant part of his speech and found nothing offensive in it. All he did was to make Kasab an example to his men. He said if an uneducated man, not even a matriculate, a drug addict like Kasab could learn so much through training in less than an year, why not our police constables. He talked about how Kasab learnt to use firearms, explosives, GPS, advanced technologies and even learnt to speak Hindi (Marathi?) in less than an year, then what was stopping our policemen? He said that he was sure his force had men much better than Kasab, both in intelligence and valour, but they needed to inculcate the passion Kasab showed.
Now what is wrong in saying, “learn from your enemy, and try to better him at his own game”? he wasn’t asking the men to become terrorists, just to see how far the enemy had gone and catch up fast. And he was ‘punished’ just for saying the words ‘Kasab’ and ‘example’ in the same sentence. I live in a crooked country!