Review of Davaram’s ’Munnar to Marina: The Journey’

BOOK REVIEW

Munnar to Marina: The Journey
By W I Davaram

Notion Press, 2O24

reviewed by K. S. Subramanian

This is a brilliant book by W I Davaram, IPS Retd., former Director General of Police, Tamilnadu. The book is in English (with a separate translation in Tamil). Along with a large number of photographs the book is fascinating and an enjoyable read. The book with 408 pages lacks an Index. The author’s partner provides concise introductions in poetic language to the chapters.

The author was obviously made for the Army but decided to join the Indian Police. He was an outstanding probationer during training for the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1963 standing first in all his classroom work and at the top of all outdoor exercises including shooting and horse-riding. Rarely has an IPS officer attained such great professional distinction. Other probationers such as the undersigned were critical of the brutal training process compared to the gentler IAS training process. As a reaction some perhaps even wanted to leave the Service but refrained from doing so.

In this comprehensive account of his first-hand experiences with policing in Tamilnadu, the author presents his perspectives as an IPS officer on some of his major experiences, among many others: Significance of the Officer on the Spot

The Officer on the spot has a crucial role to play in major law and order situations in India. Violent mobs tried to disturb law and order during former PM Indira Gandhi’s important visit to Tamil Nadu in October 1977.

After her election defeat PM Indira Gandhi visited Tamil Nadu in October 1977. The state police had to deal with violent mobs. The author was the deputy commissioner of Police on the spot. He had no option but to resort to police firing. His immediate senior, not on the spot questioned the need to resort to Police firing which had been resorted to in order to control the violent mobs in the situation. However, senior Inspector General Police justified the police firing resorted to by the deputy commissioner on the ground the that the officer on the spot had the right to decide.

Law and order situations, like flash floods, tsunamis, major mishaps, or road rail or air accidents call for immediate action. Success depends Agrarian Crisis in Thanjavur on the ability of the officer on the spot to assess the situation correctly and act promptly (p. 107-8).

Agrarian Crisis in Thanjavur

The lush green fields of Thanjavur were different from the author’s earlier experience in Munnar. The undivided Thanjavur district was the most populated district in Tamilnadu. There was a stretch of 240 Kms of paddy cultivation and 16,50 500 acres of cultivation. The author had never before seen a paddy field. The agrarian situation was complicated with large land owners, agricultural labourers and Marxist political organisation. Further, it was also the home district of the state chief minister. The political parties were communist groups demanding minimum wages. Agrarian tensions led to the death of Kisans in the Keelavenmani village in large numbers. The author was the police chief of the district. The Union Home Ministry held the green revolution could turn into a red revolution if no agrarian reforms were undertaken.

PM Indira Gandhi’s advice on land reforms was ignored. The Red Revolution began in the shape of Naxalite violence. The police held that Naxalite violence was a law and- order problem. State violence was inevitable in response. The police were effective in putting down Naxalite violence in the state though perhaps avoidable. In this context, it is relevant to study the Planning Commission’s report on the subject titled “On the Naxalite Movement” by Sumanta Banerjee EPW, May 24, 2008.

Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka Conflict

The major ethnic groups in Sri Lanka are the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims and others. The Sinhalese, the Tamils, and the Muslims are the notable ones.

The Sinhalese who form the majority of the population and the Eelam Tamils are important categories. The Muslims are the late arrivals. The author started service in the police in Tamil Nadu in 1966. The uneasy calm between the Sinhala majority and the Tamil minority in the state broke down in 1948 around the time of Sri Lankan independence and an open conflict arose between the Tamil immigrants and militants. In 1984, The Tamil militant leader Velupillai Prabakaran and his colleague Raghavan became leaders of the LTTE or the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam and other such outfits who emerged with a gun culture. The situation became complex with several Tamil militant groups that possessed the latest automatic fire arms. As many as 100,000 refugees and militants were accommodated in the districts of Tamil Nadu. Some of the militants indulged in violence. Tamil freedom struggle in Sri Lanka attracted the militant groups from Tamil Nadu. The CM of Tamil Nadu born in Sri Lanka supported the Sri Lankan militants.

On 8 November, 1986, following a violent incident, the then DGP Tamil Nadu ordered the author to carry out the disarming of Sri Lankan militants in Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, the author, who was Police Commissioner, disarmed the Tamil militant Prabhakaran and his colleague and asked them to go to Bengaluru and meet the Indian Prime Minister. The successful disarming of the Sri Lankan militants was named ‘Operation Tiger’ a highly appreciated move of the police commissioner. However, though the meeting with the Indian PM did take place no one knew what happened at the meeting though perhaps it did not succeed. Prabhakaran went back to Sri Lanka to resume his armed conflict with the Sri Lankan army. However, his close followers the one-eyed Sivarajan, Shoba, Dhanu and many others who played a major part in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi at Sriperumbudur on May 21 1991 had stayed back in India.

The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi

This is perhaps the best-written chapter in the book, detached powerful and moving. Militant Sri Lankan Tamils in India had the maximum freedom in the country. Tamilnadu became the haven of illicit firearms. The Indo-Sri Lanka agreement of 1987 signed by Rajiv Gandhi and the Sri Lankan President was not fully trusted by the Sri Lankans. At the Guard Honour to Rajiv Gandhi, one of the naval guards hit him violently but he survived narrowly. India’s goodwill towards Sri Lanka survived. Rajiv was campaigning for his party in the forthcoming elections in India. He was no longer Prime Minister. Tamilnadu government had made security arrangements in the airport. It was difficult to control the crowds who had assembled to receive and greet him. The author felt that everything was in order. And handed over charge to his immediate junior colleague. As he reached his place of stay in Sriperumbudur, he received a call to say that the worst had happened and that Rajiv was no more. The author rushed back to see Sonia Gandhi in tears. He escorted her to the airport for her departure to Delhi.

It is worth noting that the British never called the Indian police a ‘service’. They had created it as a paramilitary force. The Indian elite that came to power in 1947 may have liked to demilitarise the Indian police and make it service-oriented. It never did. The paramilitary structure continued with far-reaching implications. A well-known police author has noted that the first 299 sections of the Indian Penal Code were focused on law and order and the rest were left to other issues.

The author was a small-town boy who reached the high office of the Director General of Police in the state of Tamil Nadu. His major professional contributions were many.

The book is well-written and highly readable with rich details.

However, the author does not discuss the excesses of the Emergency regime of 1975-77. Nor does he examine the key issue of police reforms raised in the 8 volumes of National Police Commission (1977-81) Reports and other legitimate human rights critiques. He ignores the LP Singh Committee report on the Intelligence agencies While being justly proud of his achievement, the author is frank enough to admit the mistakes and omissions he may have made.

The book would interest both professionals and lay readers.

(Review author, an IPS officer, was Director-General of the State Institute Public Administration and Rural Development in Tripura)