While there is much outrage over the rape and murder of a woman PG medical student in Kolkata, the first woman IPS officer in South India and former DGP Jija M Harisingh opines that we have stringent laws to protect our women, but the key is in the implementation. In a conversation with the editorial staff of TNIE, she speaks about various issues, from being a top police officer when there were no women in the force to safety of women. Excerpts…
You were the first woman IPS officer in Karnataka. How did it happen?
I am a 1975-batch IPS officer. Before that, I served as a government college lecturer in the Department of English at Maharaja College in Kerala. Student protests, violence and lethal weapons were common on the campus at that time. While I was an invigilator, another invigilator was stabbed. Rowdy elements placed daggers on the desk while writing exams, but I wasn’t scared. I went to them and asked whether I can remove these daggers from the desk and they were stunned.
Even in those days, I was not scared. While there is a stereotype that police are corrupt and negative either in appearance or words, I thought one should do something about this profession to clean it up. This made me consider a career in civil services and I became keen on becoming a police officer. When I took the civil services exam, I didn’t qualify for the Indian Administrative Service, but I did for the Indian Police Service and several other services.
During the interview, they asked me what service I would like, I said IPS as I had no domain knowledge of other services like postal or Railways, which also don’t have as much scope for action as the police service does. After I said IPS, the whole scenario of the interview changed with them asking me all kinds of questions like how do you tackle your seniors, how do you handle a situation, etc. I was not thirsting for the job as I already had a good job. I was not tense when I answered the interview. My first posting was in Chitradurga.
How did your family take it?
There was an earthquake in my family, relatives and society. It was tough for them to accept me as a police officer, as ours is a conservative family. There was not a single uniformed officer in my entire family, not even a soldier. They were all doctors, engineers and lecturers.
How were your days in the Academy?
The National Police Academy administration was very strict. It was challenging and tough in the early days. I was the only woman among 100 men aged between 22 and 26. They were not kind at all, and I suffered a lot. If you ask about the toughest phase of my life, it was that one year at NPA. In the next batch, there were five women. Being the only woman, there was no one to share my sweat. I was part of the editorial part of the Academy, I even wrote an article titled ‘The Lady and Hundred Cops’. After the article, the director called me and I said it’s my life. There was a list of those who performed well in indoor and outdoor activities and I ranked fifth. Many men couldn’t handle it, and it was tough. I suffered in private and never showed my distress publicly.
How was the cadre those days?
Karnataka is a mature cadre. I wouldn’t say I faced harassment, but there was discrimination in posting and decision-making. I remember in 1988, when I was DCP Traffic, after expressing my opinion on an issue, Police Commissioner AR Nizamuddin sought another opinion. I told him that as the senior-most DCP, I had done research and my opinion should be final. Eventually, he agreed.
Since you worked as DCP Traffic long ago, what solution do you see for Bengaluru traffic?
Traffic police are working hard to ease traffic congestion, but traffic management depends on infrastructure. Bengaluru was initially designed for a much smaller population. By the 1970 census, Bengaluru had 1.7 million people. By the 1980s, the city’s population surged as many companies moved from Calcutta, but the roads remained the same. As DCP Traffic, I was sent to the Traffic and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) in England by the Government of India to learn traffic management. I introduced zebra crossings, yellow hatches, and increased the height of traffic light poles as buses and heavy vehicles blocked light, making it difficult for other vehicles.
Are flyovers a solution for Bengaluru traffic problem?
Research across the world shows that they are not the solutions. There should be proper planning while making a junction. New extensions must be created. Flyovers can reduce traffic jams. The new Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway is done with proper planning. Earlier going to Mysuru was a nightmare as it would easily take around four hours. All it takes today is just two hours. So it is not a flyover, but a proper road with scientific planning.
But land acquisition is a problem for making new roads. How to manage it?
I agree that it is a problem. In 1989, I tried to pedestrianise Commercial Street and Brigade Road. Even today it is not done. In Italy and other foreign countries, we can see pedestrianised places. Pedestrianising some roads is a good idea. In my time, I restricted the movement of autorickshaws on select roads. There was a discussion on the World Bank coming for traffic management. It would have been wonderful. I was keen on creating cycle paths all over. Cycling must be encouraged. When I was DCP (Traffic), there were 14 kinds of vehicles, including horse carriages and bullock carts. I introduced the concept of just four wheelers on the carriage way. But we cannot avoid two-wheelers. It would have been good if there was a separate road for two-wheelers. These are some of the things which we have to look at.
After the Kolkata incident, how will you look at the safety of women?
Offences against women, vilification of women, molestation of women and attacks on women are prevalent all over the world. Take any country, such instances come up, so does rape. Why is it happening? Multiple reasons. Number one is the patriarchal mindset, not only in India but all over the world. Though women have gained momentum through education and career, their suffering in absolute terms has not ended. Kerala is top in education and employment, but also has highest domestic violence. Suicide is prevalent. These are things we cannot explain logically. There is still objectification of women.
The Kolkata incident highlights how doctors are so vulnerable. Everywhere doctors do night duty. Nurses also do night duty. It is a dangerous and frightening situation if a doctor who is respected, revered is being attacked. It is a deplorable state of affairs. Because of the CCTV cameras through the Nirbhaya grant, the apprehension of culprits is fast. Earlier, there were no CCTV cameras. Accused would rape and go around. I feel the law enforcement system has to be strict in rape cases in not only investigation, even in prevention. Fast-track courts are not effective yet.
Do you think that our laws should be strengthened to protect women?
India has got the strongest laws for women inside the home, in public places and workplace. Laws have covered women wherever she goes. But we sadly fail in enforcement. The way prosecutors present the case is not effective enough. The chain is as weak as a link if the prosecution is not strong enough. If the prosecution fails, the whole case collapses. If there is no immediate action from the court, the whole purpose is defeated. Rapists just walk free. It is the collective responsibility of the institution, society and the government.
What advise would you give women to ensure they don’t become victims of rape?
Women have to be careful. They have to anticipate and put things in place. There were instances of sexual attacks on girls in schools and the government formed a committee to end it. The effective measure that started was to register cases against school principals. After that principals became alert. It was impactful. Principle of equality has to come everywhere. Victims of domestic violence are from all strata of society. Earlier in some African countries, where men had four or five wives, women felt only if they were beaten, husbands loved them. I do not know if it still exists.
Crimes, especially those targeting students and women, are steadily increasing. What decisive action should the government take? What policies or enforcement measures need to be urgently implemented?
India has some of the strongest laws in place, but the issue is not with legislation — it’s with enforcement. The government’s role is to pass and implement these laws, and they are already there to protect everyone. However, the failure lies in execution, particularly within the court system. After the Nirbhaya case, I felt compelled to act. The following year, I organised a national conference on women’s safety and security in India, titled “Gandhiji Revisited”. Gandhiji had envisioned a free country where a woman, adorned in jewellery, could walk the streets at midnight without fear. I wanted to revisit that vision and question whether it is a reality today, even after 60-70 years. The conference had an impact, highlighting the gaps in government offices where required safety committees were missing, despite regulations mandating them for offices with more than 10 employees. Considering the rising crime rates and growing population, it is crucial to push for more initiatives and stricter enforcement measures.
As a woman police officer, how have you raised your daughters?
I have raised my daughters to think for themselves and be highly independent. However, nothing has been able to eliminate the negativity that persists in people’s minds. Have we been able to reduce theft, housebreaking, or attacks? No. Have we managed to curb murders? No. These issues remain unresolved. And it’s not just a matter of population. Even smaller countries face the same problems. Look at the #MeToo movement in America, which exposed misconduct at the highest levels of society. These issues are pervasive everywhere, and we can only hope to find viable solutions and exert some control over them.
Should self-defence and ways to handle dangerous situations be part of the school curriculum? Shouldn’t students, from an early age, be taught how to raise an alarm if someone touches them inappropriately?
Including self-defence and safety awareness in the curriculum is essential. It should also become ingrained in society’s psyche. During our night rounds, we would often detain anyone loitering around — it might have been seen as an invasion of privacy, but it was a preventive measure. We would put them in lock-up overnight and release them in the morning, which helped in minimising offences. Starting such training from childhood would be incredibly beneficial, especially for women. I also believe in the idea of conscription, like in other countries, where at 17 or 18, young people undergo six months to a year of military service. It instills a sense of discipline, and if implemented in India for both men and women, it could create a massive auxiliary force. Making conscription compulsory would bring about a significant positive change.
What measures should be taken to ensure that special treatment is not given to jail inmates?
Special treatment for inmates should not be given, but it has been a longstanding issue. Even earlier, high-ranking individuals, such as ministers, received special privileges even while in prison. Today, VIP cells and preferential treatment for certain prisoners still exist. All inmates should be treated equally, regardless of their status. The challenge however, is compounded by the fact that a significant portion of prisoners are under trial, and while laws may be robust, enforcement can be lacking and some laws have inherent flaws.