‘We are cops, but officers have robbed us of even our dignity’

It has been over 15 years since Raja Ram (name changed) began serving in the police force. A post graduate in English literature and a double degree holder, little did he know in his initial excitement of joining the force, that wearing a constable's uniform would bring him not just poor pay, but also harassment.

“We are paid lesser than the police in our neighbouring state. With no off days, we work for over 15 hours every day. And although we are entitled to 15 days casual leave we are not allowed to take more than five or six in a year,” he complains.

“The British may have left long ago but to us it is as if we are still ruled by the raj. As orderlies we are made to stand for hours with heavy guns and many of us are forced to clean toilets, walk our seniors’ dogs and clean their poop and even wash clothes of their children which ironically, we would not do in our own homes,” he says, adding, “We are treated worse than animals and robbed of our right to live with dignity.”

The last straw for him was when he managed to catch two men, who were trying to escape after committing a murder and was humiliated by his senior and allegedly told to let them go. “After chasing them for over a kilometre, I cornered the two but they attacked me with a machete , breaking my nose which began to bleed profusely. But I still managed to apprehend them. When I reported to my officer he abused me and asked me to let them go. My heart and courage broke,” he recounts.