Dear Readers,
Greetings!
The recent times have been very trying for the country with the turbulence at the border. The peace process has been hampered and many soldiers have lost their lives while defending the nation. The pain and the trauma for their families is agonizing. Similarly, in one of the major attacks on civilian life, on 26/11/2008 several innocent people lost their lives due to the terrorist attack in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. That historic attack actually made us sit up and introspect about the safety and security systems available to the police and citizens in such eventualities. The attack actually exposed our vulnerability and unpreparedness. And, since then several policies have been devised to upgrade the safety and security systems in not just the state of Maharashtra but the entire country. As we remember that day we must bow down in respect of the martyrs who lost their lives and their families who have borne this loss with pride. We, as responsible citizens must also pledge to strengthen the police force by working in coordination with them and providing inputs whenever possible.
The appointment of Satish Mathur as DGP (Maharashtra) marks the beginning of a new period in the office of the DGP with better outlook on policing initiatives. His appointment follows the superannuation of Pravin Dixit as DGP (Maharashtra). We had valuable inputs and support from him in the form of informative content. The article by him in this issue on Terrorism, Insurgency &State Sponsored Terrorism gives an in depth insight on the subject.
The article on the ‘Initiatives of the Home Department’ elaborates on the several steps taken up by the government to improve the security systems of the state. We all are well aware that the police to population ratio is disproportionate hence we have to optimally utilize all the resources available to secure us from any hostile attack. The home department has compulsorily instructed installation of CCTV surveillance system in all municipal corporation areas of the state. Use of technology has found its way in the police department too, in the form of several applications for the safety and security of women and children by each police unit. The home department has advised integration and standardization of all such apps. In a unique police initiative the Thane police (Rural) have appointed 1350 transgenders as Police Mitras for community policing initiatives. “Policing is not a job but a passion for me,” says Dilip Sawant- DCP (Crime) at Navi Mumbai in an interview for the magazine. It is heartening to hear such statements when we are generally surrounded by gloom and indifference. With Operation Muskaan the police have been able to trace, rescue and rehabilitate missing children which is commendable. Several community policing initiatives have been highlighted through the contents of the magazine and this has been our consistent endeavour. I am sure the contents of the magazine would be informative and enriching to the readers as in the past.
Happy Reading!
Satya Swaroop
Managing Editor
satya@newmediacomm.biz
