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These days, a serious debate has erupted regarding the law and order situation in the state of Bihar, which has its own unique identity on the political and social map of India. From common citizens to opposition politicians and policy makers, the same question is repeatedly flashing in the minds that what is the reason that the morale of criminals within the state has become so high that they no longer have any fear of police, law and administration. Heinous incidents like broad daylight firing, kidnapping for ransom, robbery and murder have shaken the normal life of the state. Once upon a time, the example of good governance which was used to talk about administrative tightness in Bihar, today the same system seems to be under question due to these increasing criminal cases. After all, why does it seem that criminals are openly committing crimes without any fear of power and law? Let us know in depth from the perspective of an investigative and ground reporter what are the social, political and administrative reasons behind the fearlessness of criminals in Bihar which are adding fuel to this fire.
The backbone of any civilized society and state is its strong law and order, where criminals should have such fear of khaki uniform and law that they think a hundred times before committing any crime. But for some time now, the kind of criminal incidents that have been coming to light from various districts of Bihar – be it the capital Patna or Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, Chhapra or Purnia – are enough to show that the fear of law has completely disappeared from the hearts of criminals. This audacity within the criminals is proof that somewhere they have come to believe that after committing a crime, they will easily escape from the keen eyes of the law. The slowness in the functioning of the police, the long and complicated process of cases in the courts and the huge delay in getting the punishment further strengthens the morale of these criminals. When the fear of law weakens in a society, crime starts emerging like a parallel power, and this situation is becoming a matter of concern in many parts of Bihar today.
Bihar’s politics and crime have an old and deep connection, which has been underlined from time to time by various political parties and analysts. Even today, it is a bitter truth that many big and small criminals and strongmen directly or indirectly prosper under the cover of protection of political parties, local satraps or influential people sitting in the corridors of power. When such elements start being used during elections or in political manipulation, the police and local administration are also often forced to succumb to political pressures before taking action. This is the reason why when a criminal feels safe under the protection of a big political face, his audacity reaches the seventh heaven. He believes that even if any legal action is taken against him, his political godfather will save him. Unless this nefarious nexus of politics and crime is uprooted, it seems impossible for the general public to get a fear-free environment.
The main responsibility of maintaining law and order rests with the state police and intelligence network. But the ground reality is that even today there is a huge lack of modernization and resources in many police stations of Bihar. Lack of adequate police force in police stations, lack of vehicles for patrolling and slow pace of modern weapons and digital surveillance technology keep criminals always one step ahead of the police. Apart from this, the mechanism of beat policing and ground level intelligence gathering has weakened in many places. The main focus of the police is often on VVIP security, protests and correcting paper data, due to which they are not able to crack down on criminals and small syndicates operating at the grassroots level in time. Unless the confidence of the police is strengthened and the fear of quick action is not created among the criminals, it will be difficult to stop such incidents.
The worst impact of all these criminal incidents and rampant miscreants is falling on the common citizens, businessmen and youth of the state. Extortion and ransom calls have become common among businessmen, which is also adversely affecting the development of new investments and industries in the state. The common man has started feeling unsafe in his own localities and streets. Opposition parties are continuously cornering the government on this issue and alleging the return of Jungle Raj. The public is no longer satisfied with mere paper claims and political statements, rather they want to see concrete action and police activity on the ground. If the government does not take strict and decisive steps in this direction in time, then this situation can become a huge threat to the social and political stability of the state in the times to come.