‘Mangaluru is communally sensitive’ is a myth : Outgoing Police Commissioner TR Suresh
english.varthabharati.in exclusive interview
Thanks Mangaluru people for being cooperative
Mangaluru: In a major reshuffle in the police department ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, state government on Thursday, 21 February, issued the transfer orders of 30 IPS officers from across the state.
Senior IPS officer and Mangaluru Police Commissioner, T. R Suresh, was also one among the 30 who received transfer orders with immediate effect.
Having been served the city for a couple of years the senior cop had carved a reputation for himself of being a disciplined and dedicated officer, working constantly for the betterment of the city and its residents.
Having handed over the charge to the new commissioner Sandeep Patil on Friday, and set to leave the city on Sunday February 24, Vartha Bharati sub-editor Ismail Zaorez, caught up with the outgoing officer for an exclusive interview at his residence on Saturday evening, wherein he spoke on a range of topics and shared his experiences of the city.
Excerpts from the interview:
As the one responsible for law and order in Mangaluru, what are the challenges you faced in the city during your posting here?
Having to work in Mangaluru itself is challenging, people from different communities, natives and states live here, this is good and shows the diversity of the country but at times it becomes challenging to administrate things in sensitive issues. Having said that, I will clarify that ‘Mangaluru is communally sensitive’ is a myth, there is no truth whatsoever in that.
If Mangaluru is not communally sensitive, then why do you think the city has the tag of being communally sensitive?
I will blame social media for this, issues here are publicized more than it should be and then it is colored communally. Social Media is playing the most dangerous role here, and it is being used in the most vicious way possible, by people who have individual or organizational interests to disturb the peace. Otherwise Mangaluru is nothing different of any city of this country. Go to any major city, no city is free from communal factors, I believe it is the social media that is making the difference here.
Add to it people from both the major communities are strong here, you don’t find people of any one communities in majority all across the city. In other cities it is a few localities that any one community dominates, but here nobody has a lion’s share, both communities have almost equal presence everywhere.
What are some of the most challenging cases you had to deal with here?
To name a few, there was this Deepak Rao and Abdul Basheer murder cases of January 2018, there was Ashraf Murder case of June 2017 and then there was Sharad Madivala murder case. All these cases were challenging and sensitive and we had to work very carefully, while balancing the investigations and also maintaining law and order in the region.
‘Mangaluru chalo bike rally’ was also a difficult law and order situation I came across.It was also very sensitive.
Your crackdown on drugs mafia, along with your team of two dynamic DCPs Hanumanatharaya and Uma Prashant, was much talked and praised about. comments?
Yes, this is something I am really happy to talk about. We were very successful in cracking down drugs mafia. There have been a lot of efforts into this operation. Of course , We did not just arrested and booked cases against peddlers and kingpins. But what is more significant and needs to be discussed is , we identified the consumers and programmed their rehabilitation and also organised awareness drives.
Students are the most vulnerable to these drugs mafia. So we worked in that direction and made sure, we can neutralize them, by creating awareness among their ‘potential victims’. I am very happy we were successful in doing so, Hanumantharaya and Uma Prashant also played key roles in this, whilst I also want to mention that throughout my posting I received support from all quarters and every single officer of the department. I am grateful to all of them.
Now that you and Uma Prashant are transferred, the team of trio (He along with DCPs Uma Prashant, Hanumantharaya)have parted ways . How do you think the new team should work?
Sandeep is a very efficient officer. I am sure the new team will be successful too. Sandeep has already clarified that he will take forward the initiatives started by us like phone-in programme and others.So I am sure , they will succeed.
What is your message to the people of Mangaluru?
Again, I will admit it that Mangaluru is not communally sensitive, it’s just the hype. If people want to remove this tag, they will have to use social media very carefully and responsibly. A lot of surveys have shown that Mangaluru is among the safest cities, even then it is tagged as ‘communally sensitive’, it is all hype. If people can be more responsible on social media, this tag will soon go away.
People have been really cooperative throughout my posting here. I am grateful to them. I can’t thank them all individually. So I take this opportunity to thank them all for being so cooperative all throughout.
Having been in IPS for so long and rising through ranks, is there anything you are expecting in your career before retiring?
It’s been 30 long years since I joined the services, and to be honest I am happy with what I have done and what I have got in return. It has been a satisfactory career so far with two more years remaining before I retire.
I have been rewarded by the department for what I have done. I have received two president’s medal in my career. It has been a spotless career and I am glad for that.
I will also advise young officers to work efficiently and honestly for people and the country. They should focus on working according to the people’s need and towards the end of their respective careers they will be satisfied with whatever they have done or achieved.
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Students in Chamrajanagar walk 14 KM everyday to schools as village lacks bus connectivity
Mysuru: More than 50 school and college students from Pachedoddi, a remote village near Hanur in Chamarajanagar district, are walking 14 km every day to attend classes due to the absence of bus services and a motorable road. The situation, reported by The New Indian Express, has turned their daily commute into a physically demanding routine.
Students trek 7 km each way to reach educational institutions in Ajjipura, Ramanapura and Hanur. Their route cuts through forested stretches and uneven mud paths that become dangerous during the monsoon. The area falls under the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Division, where wild animal movement is common, adding to the students’ risk.
According to the report, the long walk leaves many students exhausted by the time they reach school, affecting their concentration in class. “Our parents brought this issue to the notice of authorities, but in vain. We have now written to the chief minister,” a student told TNIE.
Residents say that ministers, local representatives and officials have visited the village multiple times over the years, promising to address the lack of connectivity. However, the requests for a proper road and regular bus service remain unresolved.
Students have even recorded a video documenting their daily ordeal and posted it on social media in the hope of drawing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s attention. As per the report, the effort has not yet yielded a response.
Despite the challenges, the students of Pachedoddi continue to make the long journey each day in pursuit of their education.
