Inspector Shakti Devi Sharma is a Police officer in Jammu and Kashmir Police who made the force proud by getting prestigious United Nation Women Peacekeeper Award for his work in Afghanistan.
She is currently on United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), as Police Advisor in the western region of Afghanistan since May 2013 in Afghanistan Democratic Policing Project (ADPP). Her role is capacity building of Afghan National Police especially Women Police. She spoke exclusively to Fayaz Bukhari of Excelsior. Here are excerpts of the interview.
Where were you born? Who else is in your family?
I was born in Bharnara village in Majalta area of Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir in 1973. It is a remote small time farming hamlet where people mostly grow wheat and corn for their own consumption. I have four sisters, all are married and two brothers, one of them died. My mother died in 1988 and father in 2004.
How did your parents bring you up, in which environment? What was your childhood like?
My late father, Bansi Lal, was working at rice mill and my mother, Pushpa Devi, used to work at home. They were illiterate but sent us to school despite facing hardships. My mother died when I was 16. I had just finished 10th standard and I thought it was end of my studies, but my father sent me for further studies. The girls of the village used to drop schooling after 5th or 8th standard and hardly a few studied upto 10th standard.
I am from lower middle class family and my father had a local floor mill catering to the village. I used to fetch fire wood from forests, help my father at the rice mill and raring cattle.
Where did you study? What was the environment in school?
I went to Government primary school in the village. After 5th standard, for next three years I had to go to a nearby village Dhamma and used to travel 5 kilometers daily on foot.
I later went to Higher Secondary School Majalta, some 10 kilometres from my home, to study 9th to 12 Standard. I used to travel 20 kms daily, majority of the times on foot, as there were very few buses plying those days. I did B Sc from Women’s College Gandhi Nagar in Jammu and later MSc Maths and MA political science and Bachelors in Education (B Ed). I am the first graduate and post graduate from the village.
The teachers those days were very supportive but strict. The school environment was very good and teachers encouraged us and were supportive.
How is it growing up as a girl in a male dominated society?
Since our area was educationally backward. The society was proud of my education and they gave lot of respect to me. They feel proud about it that the girl from their village is a police officer. Even today when I go to village they respect me and give lot of love.
How and why did you get interested in police, which is regarded as a male profession in our society?
I developed interest in police when I was in Women’s College Gandhi Nagar. There was no concept of counseling in my college and was not knowing about Kashmir Police Service (KAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).
I wanted to contribute for the society and thought that joining the police force is the best way to do it. Police has authority and as a police officer, I can get the things moving in right direction easily. I wanted to contribute for needy, so I wanted to the join police.
I started playing games mostly volley ball and played at national level 2-3 times during my college days with an eye on joining the police. My father was interested in my joining education department as a teacher saying police job is tough and risky. Being a girl from a remote and lower middle class, I had no dreams. However, I was crazy about joining the police. My father finally agreed. He made me to take a pledge that I won’t do any wrong, like taking bribe and harassing the people. I am acting upon that pledge even now.
What are the problems you faced as a woman in your career in male dominated police force? Did you ever face discrimination from colleagues?
Right from my training, I got full support from my batch mates and colleagues. I was declared best outdoor cadet and at the passing out parade the then Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, told me at the award ceremony, “You have drubbed boys”.
I didn’t face any problem at my work place. My colleagues and seniors were very supportive. I was sincere and hard worker and always performed beyond their expectations. I used to run 10 kilometers in the morning with a rifle daily. I was always standing first in the race.
When I joined services as probationer, SHO Shamsher Singh Parihar inspired me and he is my Guru. He was SHO of Trikuta Nagar Police Station where I was probationer. He taught me the basic policing. He used to tell me that the probation time is most precious and take full advantage of it and learn more and more during it.
The then SP, Farooq Khan, was very supportive and he even rewarded me when I was SHO Residency Road. The then SSP, Kamal Saini, posted me as SHO of the then newly established SHO women’s Police Station when my service was only 2 years. It was proud moment for me. The senior police officers – Mukesh Singh, Rupinder Chilotra, Farooq Khan, Prabat Singh and DGP, K Rajinder were all supportive. All these officers encouraged me and groomed me.
How long are you in Police services? Where have you been posted? What was nature of your job in JKP? Did you work on the issues in J&K, you are working on in Afghanistan now?
I am in police for last 15 years. I joined as Sub-Inspector in Jammu and Kashmir Police in 1999. I did normal policing in J&K Police and mostly got prize postings for my hard work and sincerity. I was mostly posted as SHO in Police Stations with few stints in between with the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police..
I was SHO Women’s Cell (2009-2012) during which I handled 3, 000 complaints of women ranging from matrimonial disputes, domestic violence to rapes etc. I managed to settle 80-90 percent cases by involving local elders, NGOs, community leaders, local representatives like MLAs. The rest 10-20 percent cases were sent to courts.
I had made the police Station a community centre and even complex issues were resolved within a year. It was a different kind of experience and I feel satisfied by resolving women’s issues. It changed my perception. Even today I get calls and messages from those whose cases I settled. I feel happy that their lives have been settled.
How did you get the opportunity to work on the UN peacekeeping mission?
I appeared in the examination for serving with the United Nations mission and was shortlisted in 2010 and in 2012 between February 2012 and November 2012, I worked in East Timore on UN Mission. I was legislation advisor and my role was mentoring of East Timore Police. Our role was to improve their policing, help them in investigations, registration of cases with special focus on how to handle women issues in Police Stations.
I was selected along with two Philippines women on Afghan mission from East Timore. I joined the UN mission in Afghanistan in May 2013 for one year and in 2014, I got one year extension for my exemplary work. My extension is upto May 2015.
What was your reaction on hearing that you had received the award?
That night, I was going to bed and checked my mail before it. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the mail in which my name was mentioned in peacekeeper awardee. I thought I am in deep sleep and it is a dream. I opened the mail box again and again to make myself believe that I really got UN Peacekeeper award.
I still don’t believe it as I have not done anything extra-ordinary but a routine work. Being a girl from remote hamlet in a border State with modest back ground, I had and have no dream. I didn’t even dream of passing 10th standard. It is something big for me, beyond my imagination. I still don’t believe it.
The credit for the award goes to my family, Jammu and Kashmir Police, my colleagues, mentors, United Nations team and the Afghan National Police.
What is the work you have done in Afghanistan?
I worked with United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), as Police Advisor in the western region of Afghanistan since May 2013 in Afghanistan Democratic Policing Project (ADPP). I am responsible for capacity building of Afghan National Police especially women police. We successfully facilitated establishment of police women councils in Herat and Farah Province to effectively address challenges facing women police and to build their professionalism with special focus on community policing.
What has been the most challenging times for you in Afghanistan and in your general work?
Afghanistan is the most challenging place. Security here is the biggest challenge. My life has always been hard, right from childhood. I am always committed to work and don’t take any challenges but just want to finish my work despite problems. Restriction of the movement in Afghanistan is a limitation in carrying out work. I want to go and finish my work and fulfill my objective but I feel sad when security concerns restrict my movement. I feel sad that I can’t satisfy myself and can’t deliver.
How do you compare the plight of women in Afghanistan with the situation of women in India?
Afghan women face lot of problems as compared to India. In India there are no financial constraints to women while in Afghanistan there are. The women can’t work in offices, outside their homes, in NGOs and especially in Police Force. They can’t even go to schools, don’t have proper medical facilities and lot of them die during child birth. It is most difficult place for women on earth. Indian women are 100 times better than their Afghan compatriots.
What do you think about crimes against women such as female foeticide, sexual violence, trafficking, domestic violence, violence at work place, acid attacks etc?
We have to strictly deal with such issues and give strong punishment to the perpetrators of these crimes especially acid attacks. We have to make women aware about these issues and their rights. We have to provide them secure environment to fight against such crimes.
What do you think needs to be done to improve the situation of women in Afghanistan and in India?
We have to provide security to women, provide them secure working environment, launch awareness campaign for them about the issues they are facing.
Who is your role model?
My role model is Kiran Bedi, the Indian Police Services (IPS) officer, now retired. I as an Inspector want to deal like her as tough police officer and be professional like her.
What are your future plans regarding working on the issues you are working in Afghanistan?
I want to work where I am posted in the police department once I return home next year. I am interested in operations but my main focus as an individual will be to fight crime against women, provide security to women, want to work for providing secure environment for women where they can work for development of family, society and the nation.
What is your message for women?
My message for women is to realize their essence of liberty and dignity. It is imperative for women to be aware of their inherent strength to fight all social, economic, political and other adversities. I call upon every woman to reach out to at least one underprivileged woman and work for her upliftment. Our small effort can make a big difference.
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