A personality who needs no introduction – D. Sivanandhan – former top cop and humanitarian, is dedicated to feeding the hungry and making a difference in the community. Satya Swaroop, Managing Editor, The Protector, spent some time with him to discuss the latest developments in the country and his NGO – Roti Bank.
What are your views on Shaheen Bagh and the incidents taking place at Delhi recently?
The latest law and order issue of people protesting all over the country in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi about the passing of CAA in the Parliament is something which has prolonged beyond a certain limit. Shaheen Bagh has become a political issue related to the Delhi Election in which the Aam Admi Party (AAP) achieved a major number of seats. People thought that once the elections are over, the protests at Shaheen Bagh would stop, but due to vested interests, it is still ongoing. Protestors are still blocking the main arteries of the roads resulting in traffic jams and various other issues.
The State Police’s stance is commendable. But these have a lot of political overtones. The Supreme Court did say that everybody has the right to agitate; but can they block the road? As per law, whenever a group wants to conduct a rally, agitation, protest, etc, they need to take permission from the Commissioner of Police. Prohibition of a gathering of four to five people is always in place in a city like Mumbai and Delhi, while Section 144 is also implemented in all these cities. Thus, anybody without permission assembling for a peaceful protest or otherwise is a prohibited activity or unlawful activity which was implemented in Delhi. In such a situation, the police can register a case and remove the protestors and declaring such protests as illegal. And if any violence takes place, the police can use a reasonable amount of force as per the law. But as this activity has political backing, the Delhi Police did not go into overdrive and take action.
Now tactically, these people have brought women and children at the forefront, exploiting the situation emotionally. The Delhi Police is treading carefully as it is a sensitive situation. The way they handled the Jamia Millia lathicharge incident which we saw on television was not what they would like to remember by. Thousands of allegations had been put up where both sides (students and police) are blaming each other for the incident. With such a background, the Delhi Police is handling Shaheen Bagh with a lot of patience.
In my opinion, in a democracy, protests, agitations and demonstrations are welcome. It is their right as the Honourable Supreme Court has rightly said, but there have to be limits, and these limits should be set by the people themselves. Negotiations are taking place. I am sure about it and someday these negotiations have to yield a positive result, and these roadblocks have to be lifted. I look forward to the removal of such blockages. Until then, I wish Delhi Police the best of luck.
What are your thoughts on Article 370?
I would not like to comment on Article 370 because what they did is legal. The Parliament passed the Bill and all the legal necessary steps were taken. The Supreme Court has not done anything about it. They have conducted various measures through which they have maintained law and order by detaining some important people under the Public Safety Act, blocked the internet, etc. This is a very well calculated political manoeuvre by the government. This was pending for a very long time.
As per law, everything they have done is constitutionally right. Now convincing the seven districts of Kashmir and bringing them into the mainstream without bloodshed and violence is the most important and challenging step. We can now say that India has One Law, One Rule, One Flag and One Constitution. I wish we could spend all the money which was spent on security and securing Jammu and Kashmir for developmental activities in that area. Soon India will become a five trillion economy.
It is said that the Security Advisor of the country played a key role in maintaining law and order in Kashmir. Do share your opinion about it?
I don’t know what he did exactly, thus, I am unable to comment on it. But we have been watching all the decisions taken by the government. I have no doubt he might have played a very important role and so far, it looks to be successful. Ultimately, we are all Indians. We have to remember that India is one country and we have to be united and look at the hurdles as one people.
Share with us about your NGO – Roti Bank. How does it work?
I have never thought that such a good initiative would get such a good start. The Roti Bank started from a pandal near Lower Parel Railway Station in Mumbai in December 2017. At that time, just ten people had connected with the initiative. There was no money. A friend had provided a vehicle. Now Roti Bank has 10 vehicles in Mumbai and the 11th has been provided in Nagpur. I was the Commissioner of Police in Nagpur in 2004. Since Nagpur is a centre of delicious food, the city was chosen for the initiative. India is a three trillion dollar country. The country’s population will surpass China’s population in the next one year. Despite India being a powerful country, around 20 crore people go hungry. We have sufficient food but due to mismanagement, a huge amount of it goes to waste. Nearly 1.8 lakh ton of food is wasted every day in India, and around 20 crore people, of whom a big number is in Mumbai, go hungry.
The NGO has a dedicated helpline where we can be reached. Our dedicated vans pick up excess food and redistribute it promptly, thus ensuring that the quality of the food remains intact.
We distribute food in schools where poor students study. Over 500 patients at the Tata Cancer Hospital are served food. On January 1, 2020, we started our own kitchen. The salaries of the staff and drivers are paid through this NGO. Prasanna Chaudhari will work with a team of volunteers in Nagpur.
We also deliver daily meals to kids of Drona Foundation, Dharavi and the relatives of cancer patients at Tata Memorial Hospital. We also distribute freshly-cooked food and raw grains to our regular beneficiaries.
D Sivanandhan, Former DGP, Maharashtra Police
