Numaan Sajjad
numaansajjad008@gmail.com
The recent incident in which a Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) allegedly assaulted a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer has shaken the foundations of inter-departmental decorum and raised profound questions about service conduct, discipline, and mutual respect within the public sector.
More than an altercation between two officers, the event reflects a deeper tension between authority and accountability — a theme that has echoed through history across nations and systems.
The Foundation of Service: Respect and Restraint
In a democracy governed by the rule of law, both the civil and police administrations serve as twin pillars of governance. Each functions within its own constitutional domain — one implementing policy, the other maintaining law and order. The friction between them is not new, but when disagreement descends into physical or verbal confrontation, it becomes a breach not just of service conduct, but of institutional integrity itself.
Public administration thrives on restraint, not aggression. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love. Power based on love is a thousand times more effective.”
This quote resonates deeply in today’s administrative context: real authority is moral, not muscular.
Historical and International Lessons
History offers stark reminders of what happens when discipline and ethics collapse within state institutions.
In colonial India, administrative officers of the British Raj often acted with arrogance and impunity — behavior that fueled resistance and delegitimized authority in the eyes of the people. Post-independence, India’s founders consciously built a civil service culture rooted in integrity, impartiality, and cooperation — a tradition that must not be allowed to erode.
Internationally, similar lessons abound. In the United Kingdom, the 1966 Aberfan disaster led to public outrage not merely because of the tragedy itself, but due to administrative negligence and inter-departmental blame-shifting. The resulting reforms strengthened communication and accountability between government branches.
In the United States, police accountability movements have emphasized that unchecked power erodes legitimacy — a lesson echoed in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt: “No man is above the law, and no man is below it.”
Such examples remind us that respect for institutional boundaries is not weakness — it is the essence of professionalism.
A Message to the Uniformed Services
The police force holds a critical and often demanding role in society. But authority must always walk hand in hand with humility and legality. Resorting to force against fellow public servants is not courage; it is misconduct.
Policing, by its very nature, requires composure even under provocation. It is this restraint that separates the professional officer from the ordinary enforcer.
A message must therefore resonate within the corridors of the police and civil administration alike — that no officer, irrespective of uniform or designation, is above the code of conduct. Administrative disagreements must find redress in lawful, procedural, and dignified ways, not through confrontation or coercion.
Integrity: The Eternal Standard
Integrity is the invisible backbone of governance. Without it, authority becomes tyranny, and service becomes self-interest. Civil and police officers alike must remember the ancient maxim from Confucius: “To see what is right and not do it is the want of courage.”
Let this incident serve not only as a warning but as a wake-up call — that professionalism must triumph over pride, and duty must prevail over dominance. The government must ensure impartial inquiry and exemplary action so that public trust in governance remains intact.
In the end, harmony between police and administration is not merely desirable — it is indispensable for good governance. Power without discipline is dangerous; authority without integrity is hollow.
The true strength of the state lies not in force, but in fairness.
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