February 8
This must be the most tragic day in the forever-tragic republic. What have the poor politicians done to deserve this? The papers are full of reports that there are way too many of those security men protecting us. That’s nonsense; pardon me, but sheer human excreta.

The supreme court seeking removal of police protection for SC and high court judges is fine. I mean, if those guys don’t want security, fine. But why bare us? Why not spare us? What will the people do with too many policemen thrust on them? They will have to shell out more in way of toll and ‘hafta’. Huff!

There’s this data that all newspapers and news channels are tossing around. Prepared by the bureau of police research and development, I am told. Those guys doing such research should first find out whether people want more cops. In most smaller towns and villages, the cops are just as good or bad as the bad guys. Those guys have found out that there are three cops to protect each VIP, just one policeman for 761 citizens [more here]. The researchers should first search and research whether those citizens have any need for protection.

And since those officers are also mandated to work on police ‘development’, they might as well ‘develop’ the cops first, making them closer to some version of human beings, before unleashing them on those hapless people. At least we, politicians, can keep those chaps under check. Look at Mamata Banerjee, the honourable chief minister of West Bengal! She keeps her security detail on their toes, on a leash, so to speak, telling them that they should be whipped at any time she feels like. Hah!

And why? Simply because Mamata was made to wait at the Kolkata book fair a bit too long before it could come pick her up. Now, who among those “citizens” has been able to do that to the cops in those PCR vans who fiddled while the bus with the killer-rapists and the victim and her friend circled around? And even those cops themselves know they deserve a rap on their knuckles, if not suspension, summary dismissal and more, for that.

The supreme court, newspapers tell me, took suo motu cognizance of Sheila Dikshit’s age-old rant about lack of policemen policing Delhi. Apparently, the December 16 gangrape would not have happened had there been more policemen on the road. It’s shameful, atrocious, in fact, that the bus crossed at least three police control room (PCR) vans on the way. Did any cop in any of those vans bat an eyelid to find out the monstrosity going on inside?

What is the logic, and prospect, that more men on the streets would have caught the villains? Would we wait for the opportunity that one of them would have opened his eyes, realised the situation, got off the comforts of the police van on a chilly mid-December Delhi night and flagged down the bus? Come now, sir, it’s better to wait for Christmas.

What is the need to get worked up and dismantle in a jiffy all the mantles we have created over the years? Who will tie up our shoelaces and wait on us, then? Okay, that’s a joke. Or maybe not, according to some of my tribes people!