Tough Policing

The Ahmedabad Police, in conjunction with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), recently undertook a decisive operation against individuals accused of vandalism and terror in the Vastral area. Fourteen individuals, including a minor, were arrested for engaging in violent acts using weapons. More significantly, in a move designed to deter future offenders, authorities razed the illegal properties of seven accused individuals, while publicly parading and punishing the perpetrators. If deterrence was the aim, then the police’s execution was near flawless.

But there is something else in this incident. For years, a segment of India’s commentariat has been quick to paint the Gujarat police as selectively heavy-handed, particularly in cases involving communal tensions. The charge often levelled was that law enforcement is ‘anti-Muslim’ in its response to crime and public disorder. Yet the events in Ahmedabad last week tell a different story - one of firm, unbiased policing that puts public order above political posturing.

The accused, who are all from the majority community, were neither shielded by identity politics nor given leniency based on affiliations. Not a single one spared. This is precisely the kind of even-handed action that should be replicated across the country - one where criminals are treated as criminals, not as political symbols to be defended or targeted based on convenience.

The approach taken by the Ahmedabad Police is a masterclass in law enforcement strategy: swift arrests, visible punitive measures and the use of state resources to dismantle illicit networks. Illegal properties of offenders were not just seized but demolished, reinforcing the notion that the long arm of the law extends beyond mere custodial detentions. In an age when many police forces hesitate to act decisively for fear of backlash - legal, political or otherwise - this is an example worth emulating.

Predictably, there were protests. Family members of the accused attempted to obstruct the demolition drive, a familiar spectacle where lawbreakers seek public sympathy by casting state action as draconian. But the police stood firm. This refusal to buckle under pressure is a key takeaway: a state that enforces the law without hesitation is one that commands respect.

Many police forces in India struggle with both credibility and operational effectiveness. Too often, political interference hampers their ability to act with impartiality. Too often, criminals find protection in identity politics, making the simple act of law enforcement an exercise in public relations management rather than governance. The Ahmedabad incident offers a compelling counterpoint in police action that is firm, immediate and unambiguous in its messaging.

While elements of the operation - the public sit-ups, the compelled apologies, the lathi punishment - may raise eyebrows among human rights activists, they serve a larger purpose: reinforcing the cost of public disorder. In a society where lawbreakers often operate with impunity, visible punishment acts as a crucial deterrent. The question then is not whether such methods are too harsh, but whether they are necessary.

India’s police forces are frequently maligned as corrupt, communal or incompetent. While some of this criticism is well-earned, blanket generalizations erode public trust in the very institutions tasked with maintaining order. When policing is reduced to a narrative of selective victimhood, it creates an environment where genuine criminals can operate with greater confidence, secure in the belief that political and ideological forces will shield them.

The Ahmedabad operation stands as a rebuttal to this trend. Here was a case where police action was neither selective nor politically motivated. It was a demonstration of what a functional police force looks like - one that does not hesitate, does not discriminate and does not fear backlash.

While the main accused is still at large, the message is clear: those who disrupt public peace will be held accountable, regardless of who they are. The rest of India’s police forces would do well to take notes.