Constant Vigil Helps
Kolkata Police Keep
City Safe & Secure

Additional Commissioner Police K. Harirajan, IPS is a man of many facets. Armed with a Masters in Economics from Presidency Madras. Harirajan entered the Indian Economic Service before competing in the Civil Services examination and eventually opting for the Indian Police Service in the early 1980s. He has since excelled in various police assignments. As head of the Traffic Police Department Harirajan has brought order to the chaotic Kolkata traffic. The inaugural issue of the Kolkata PROTECTOR carries an interview of Harirajan, who talks about how critical is the role of the traffic police as the first responders in the street to any terrorist threat.

On early years…
I come from a middleclass South Indian family from Madras, now Chennai. My father was in the government i.e, Foreign Trade. I lost my mother at a very tender age. After losing her, my entire life changed suddenly and I felt the load of responsibility on my shoulders. I have a young brother to look after. I became mature and also very stubborn by facing this most harsh and unpleasant reality of life. My father virtually sacrificed his carrier for our sake.
After finishing my school I started my higher studies. I always had a very strong conviction in life but I never thought I would be a police officer. I was not a backbencher and so I did well in my graduation and then pursued Masters in Economics. After completion of my post graduation I worked for two years in the Indian Economic Service. Then I sat for the Indian Civil Service and I became third time lucky and that's how my journey as a police officer started.
On evolution of Kolkata from Calcutta…
My Kolkata experience started when I came for police training in Barrackpore. I and some of my colleagues used to come to Kolkata during the weekends. We used to visit the areas such as Park Street and enjoy the street food and watch english movies. The situation of the city was not so good as the roads were in a bad shape and the traffic system was also very ill-equipped. But I am very happy to say that the entire traffic situation changed drastically in all these years. Earlier, there were very few traffic signals on the roads and now the signals are very prominently visible at almost every part of the city. When I came to the city in 1984 the entire Kolkata city was in a very bad shape. The construction work for the Metro was going on. But now the city is cleaner and safer. The neon hoardings were also very few in the city, hardly one or two. The one I still remember was atop K.C. Das Sweets. Now the trams have changed and the lighting systems of the streets have also changed. There are a number of old buildings in the northern part of Kolkata such as Muchipara and Burrabazar areas which are old but they still carry the British signature.
Another thing about Kolkata which really fascinates me is the spirit of the city. People are very emotional and at the same time very friendly. You would never feel like an outsider in this city. This love and affection which I have received from the citizens of Kolkata actually helped me to stay in this city of joy for the last 25 years. That's why I call it my second home. I am really passionate about the Bengali cuisine. I love the fish paturi. It's a delight for me. Last but not the least, the sweets are unique, a speciality of Bengal.
How successful are you in changing the traffic scenario of Kolkata?
I have tried to take different steps to upgrade the traffic department. We are quite equipped to handle the entire traffic system of Kolkata. But everyday new challenges come up. We are like an anti-virus in a computer which always updates itself to fight new viruses. I personally think that by merely putting up new equipment we cannot combat the traffic problems of the city. The main task of the traffic police is traffic management and that cannot be done successfully just by pleading with the civilians to abide by the traffic rules and regulations. I always think we also have to enforce them. My thrust has always been on the enforcement of the law. We are not here only to educate people or to work as motivators. Obviously both of these aspects are inevitable parts of modern policing. But our motto is to enforce and to turn Kolkata roads much safer. That is what the government expects from us and we are always striving to give our best in this regard.
What do you think of the recent survey by Overseas Security Advisory Council, saying that Kolkata is one of India’s safest cities?
It's a very good thing and at the same time it is very challenging for us. If we are doing a good job, it means we are moving in the right direction. The crime level in the city has come down and at the same time the accidents too are comparatively lower.
Critics some time say that the speed of vehicles has come down which is the reason why there are fewer accidents. There are different opinions about these reports but I would always say that these things encourage our force to put our best foot forward.
Traffic inspectors or the mobile traffic cops have always stood out for their exemplary commitment to duty. How is the traffic department of the Kolkata Police gearing itself to fight threats of terrorism?
Kolkata Police is always prepared to face any kind of crisis situation. We as a part of Kolkata Police strive to combat threats like terrorism. A traffic cop can be the first responder in the case of any incident. In such a scenario we believe in division of work. In such critical times, the main focus of the traffic cop should be on restricting the traffic from moving towards the ground zero. This will not only help minimize the chaos but also help in keeping the number of casualties to the minimum. The traffic inspectors would instantly co-ordinate with the traffic control room and also help the specialized forces and the medical teams to reach the scene of incident. We are controllers of the traffic and I personally believe that if we manage things properly then we can always save civilians from any threat and reduce casualties.
The usual time which Kolkata Police takes to respond to any crime scene is usually 30 minutes or more. What kind of steps do you think you can take to respond faster?
We are constantly gearing ourselves, especially for the last one and a half years or I would say, since the Jaipur blasts. We repeatedly do mock drills to keep ourselves ready for any kind of crisis situation. But at the same time we always have to remember that the mock drills cannot be a foolproof precaution against terror attacks. Because, we never know what exactly is waiting for us. But yes, this kind of training will definitely help us cope with the situation and also help in reducing civilion casualties.
How important is public awareness in fighting terror?
It is very important, because if we can make people aware of their duties and responsibilities then the work of the police and other security organizations becomes easier. The terrorists always have a tendency to attack the common man and can spread terror and create fear. They may attack schools or colleges. In this case I do not expect small children to be aware of the safety norms but the teachers have to be more cautious about the dos and don'ts during these tough times. The children should obey their teachers blindly during a crisis situation.
How would Kolkata Police rate itself after one year of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. Is Kolkata Police prepared to take on a challenge of such gravity?
We actually have equipped ourselves well. We are well armed now, we have good protection devices. We are rolling out a world class electronic surveillance system. We monitor every suspicious activity in any part of Kolkata. We regularly visit the hotels in the city and also cyber cafes. We have newly created the Green Police boys who keep a watch on their neighbourhoods. We have selected 1,000 boys from different localities who are chosen from the local football tournament organized by Kolkata Police. They are under the payroll of the Municipal Corporation. Their main job is to keep a tab on any suspicious activity in their locality and promptly inform the local police station.
Here are Harirajan's rapid-fire question - answers.
Your favorite pastime - Reading
You love to read - John Grisham.
Your all time favorite action hero - Bruce Willis
You love to watch - Die Hard
Your favorite destination - Paris
The Most difficult situation you have handled during your service - The 1990 riots in Howrah. It was a Bharat bandh that day. I was posted as Additional Superintendent of Police there. That day evening massive riots broke out in Pilkhana, under the Golabari thana area. We never anticipated something like that but it happened. Within the first hour at least 10 people were killed, mostly by gun shots. The situation was very grim. I still remember that the miscreants had short circuited the transformer, plunging the entire area in darkness. The only sources of light for us were the headlights of the police vehicles. I was really lucky during that time to get very good superiors and comrades by my side like H.A. Sawfi, the DIG and my then SP late S.N. Kundu. It was one of the most challenging situations I had faced. The curfew continued for many days in the area. Another gentleman who was there and who really helped us during that crisis situation was the D.C. headquarters S.I.S. Ahmed. To stop the riot from spreading any further, we cremated the 10 dead bodies in Kolkata. None were allowed to go to Howrah. With the help and permission of then Police Commissioner late B.K. Saha we buried all the 10 bodies on the eastern side of the Hoogly. It was a sensitive task which Kolkata Police had undertaken. We actually stopped mass killings and also put a break on the crisis situation.
Any regret in life…
Hardly any, but a lot of work is undone. If you do something and it gets neglected then it automatically gets undone.