![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
CHANDIGARH: Police 'lathi' (cane) may be a symbol of terror for wrongdoers in general but it remained largely unused when Haryana was boiling during Jat stir for reservation in February. According to the Prakash Singh committee report, Haryana police resorted to lathi-charge on 11 occasions during the violence but surprisingly not one person was injured in any instance in any district of the state.
"How could the lathi charge be so non-violent is beyond our comprehension. Besides, the Haryana Police opened fire on 20 occasions in which 9 persons were killed. What is baffling under this head is that in Rohtak, which was the epicenter of disturbances, there were 7 instances of firing by the Haryana Police but not one person was killed in the process. Obviously, the use of force was done very hesitatingly and firing was perhaps in the air," observed the committee in its report.
Finding the reasons of such hesitation by state police in using force during violence, the committee has held that during the last decade or so, the police were never encouraged or exhorted to use force, and that they expected the politicians and the agitators to come to some kind of agreement at the last stage.
The report has mentioned that several officers, while explaining their inaction to the committee, took the stand that if force had been used, the consequences would have been graver.
Disagreeing with such explanations, the committee, however, has observed, "In fact, experience during the recent riots in Haryana was that wherever force was used, the rioters dispersed and the situation was brought under control." Committee has specifically given the examples of Jhajjar town, Safidon (Jind) and Larsouli (Sonepat), where situation was controlled by using the force strictly.
"How could the lathi charge be so non-violent is beyond our comprehension. Besides, the Haryana Police opened fire on 20 occasions in which 9 persons were killed. What is baffling under this head is that in Rohtak, which was the epicenter of disturbances, there were 7 instances of firing by the Haryana Police but not one person was killed in the process. Obviously, the use of force was done very hesitatingly and firing was perhaps in the air," observed the committee in its report.
Finding the reasons of such hesitation by state police in using force during violence, the committee has held that during the last decade or so, the police were never encouraged or exhorted to use force, and that they expected the politicians and the agitators to come to some kind of agreement at the last stage.
The report has mentioned that several officers, while explaining their inaction to the committee, took the stand that if force had been used, the consequences would have been graver.
Disagreeing with such explanations, the committee, however, has observed, "In fact, experience during the recent riots in Haryana was that wherever force was used, the rioters dispersed and the situation was brought under control." Committee has specifically given the examples of Jhajjar town, Safidon (Jind) and Larsouli (Sonepat), where situation was controlled by using the force strictly.
