Sympathy for the devil

A couple of years ago, one of my friends was out in the streets shooting some footage of an ongoing political protest. He came back one evening rather distraught at the brick batting on the security personnel by a group of protesters. My friend, despite not being a big fan of the security forces, found them displaying restraint in their crowd control efforts, and found fault with the protesters. On my part, I sided with the protestors and explained that faced with 364 days of police and army high-handedness, if I was to get that single day to get back at them, to kick their butt, I would jump ahead. Even if I were not provoked directly, getting back would be sweet, and given the track record of our security personnel, justified.

Living in Kathmandu, I am familiar with the skirmishes on the street between protesters and the security forces. The recent flare up was unprecedented, and we saw police brutality escalate, as a result of which, the already tarnished image of the security forces plummeted to a new low. Thankfully, a semblance of order has returned to the Valley with the restoration of the House of Representatives. The general mood is upbeat and the sense of impending doom has been replaced with one of expectation. It is a big relief to see this city shed its image of being a virtual war zone: barbed wire fences, armed forces patrolling the streets and checkpoint and manifests in every nook and corner.

Recently on my way back from New Road, I passed by a group of Armed Police personnel. It was a hot day, and they were seeking shade in a narrow alley. Some of them were nibbling at biscuits, a few were drinking water from discarded Coke pet bottles, and many had earphones on and were listening probably to music on FM radio. All of them looked weather beaten – tanned faces, red eyes and taut, tired bodies. Apart from the uniform they wore, they looked exactly the same as the common person on the street, as vulnerable and as human. I was surprised. Was it these very people we saw as the devil’s reincarnate just a fortnight ago?

I have never felt any sympathy for security personnel, but looking at that group of ragged police people, I felt I had been unjust to some extent. Admitted that they do take their role of ‘maintaining order’ a bit too seriously at times, they are as human as each one of us. I guess they have the same aspirations as every other human and so the insecurities and worries. The people higher up the ranks maybe an entirely different breed, but the ones at the bottom, as I see it now, have to bear the worse of both worlds: they face orders, often against their own principles, that come from above, and then the wrath and disdain of the people in general they face in following those orders.

The pay packet to say the least is miserable and the uniform comes with an unenviable reputation and loads and loads of contempt and loathing. Putting things in perspective, for once, my sympathies are for the devil.