Everything, Everywhere, All at Once

West Bengal has recently been in the news for troubling reasons. The RG Kar incident has deeply shaken society's conscience, and there is an overwhelming demand for justice. There's no debate about that. After days of protests, the junior doctors have called off their strike following government assurances, primarily focused on improving security for doctors and women in the workplace.

However, it remains to be seen how the government will implement these promises. West Bengal has one of the lowest ratios of police personnel per lakh population in the country—just 98 uniformed officers. The situation isn't very different in other parts of the country. Additionally, vacancies in the police force stand at a concerning 30%. How can hospital security be meaningfully enhanced without affecting security in other places given these circumstances?

How did we reach this stage? The state's primary responsibility has traditionally been to maintain law and order and protect property rights. In earlier times, individuals ceded their authority to the state, granting it the exclusive right to use force in exchange for the protection of life and property. This is why the state was termed Leviathan, towering over its subjects.

Over time, as democracy took hold, the structure evolved. Now, it was no longer a king ruling over subjects unless a revolution overthrew the sovereign, but elected politicians who needed to secure votes to stay in power. This shift was undoubtedly positive, as it allowed people to set priorities for the government. Politicians, eager to win elections, began promising to solve every conceivable problem—and electorates loved it. They demanded everything, everywhere, all at once, and politicians were happy to promise the moon.

But there are no free lunches, and the state's capacity isn't infinite. It cannot be stretched beyond a certain level. Take the West Bengal government’s Lakshmir Bhandar scheme announced just before the assembly elections, offering Rs. 500 to women (the amount has now been increased to Rs 1200). This scheme consumes almost 20% of the State government's development budget, squeezing funds for other programs. But with more than two crore women benefiting, the TMC government secured a thumping electoral victory and this became an extremely popular scheme.

Would any government invest similarly in enhancing the police force's capacity? How many people are victims of violent crimes? Perhaps one in 10,000, but do the rest of the population base their vote on how this person fares?

The RG Kar incident struck a nerve because it hit too close to home—it made people realize that if this could happen to a self-made woman at her workplace, it could happen to anyone. The outrage was similar to what we saw during the Nirbhaya case.

Then there are extreme demands like "shoot the criminal," as we saw in Telangana and UP, and many celebrated such actions. It gave immediate relief to our tribal sense of justice. But this is a return to anarchy, and the executive would love this to avoid public outcry. Consider the Ryan International school murder case, where a bus conductor was arrested for sexual assault and murder, only for it to be revealed later that the actual culprit was an older student.

Not many would remember the Ajmer rape case where justice was delivered after 32 years. When asked to comment on the verdict, a survivor of the Ajmer gang rape in 2022 said, "I am now a grandmother, leave me alone." Are we really serious about justice?

It takes years to build the capabilities of police forces and the judicial system. This article by ex IPS Rajan Singh clearly highlights the deeper issues facing our country regarding criminal justice.

Moreover, crimes like rape don’t begin with the act itself. Often, these suspects have been emboldened over time, having gotten away with molestation, harassment, and domestic violence. The state has already failed multiple times before they gather the courage to commit such heinous crimes.

We are far from being called developed. Without safety for women, the notion of a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) or any progress is meaningless.

I don’t claim to have all the answers. People expect the government to do everything, everywhere, all at once. But no government can fulfil such expectations. They deliver on issues that get them elected.

We must exert pressure through civil society, NGOs, and advocacy groups to keep these issues alive. Violent crimes like RG Kar may be few but justice in such cases is mandatory for a State that desires to be called civilised. People get the government they deserve—will we be wise enough to remember this next time we cast our vote?

Rajan Singh #Governance #PublicPolicy #WomenSafety #Leadership #SocialJustice #RGKar #RGKarIncident #Nirbhaya