Published in India Today

The Panchayat (Local Jury) that restored the honour

With the initiative of one police officer, hundreds of historysheeters who were suffering for long got relief

Yasin khan, aged 70, a farmer from Makhyali village of Muzzafarnagar, was alleged of a robbery case by police forty years ago. Since then he carried the blemish of a historysheeter. Though he was released after three years of imprisonment for that incident, but till date the police register of Nayi Mandi police station still has his name registered in it, and hence he is always under surveillance. Yasin says that “Whenever any incident took place in the village, I was always caught and interrogated about it, even though I was not aware of it”. He has a family of 13 people, and now he lives peacefully when the history sheet has been closed, earlier he was bothered time and again for interrogation.

There are many aged historysheeters like Yasin, who have not committed any crime for decades and now they can live their lives peacefully. They were bestowed with this relief in May 2004 by Mr. Navneet Sikera (S.S.P), who was the Senior Police Officer of Muzzafarnagar, organised a Panchayat which dealt with the cause of the historysheeters. Mr Sikera, who is known for innovation and improvement of the police organisation, made an effort to remove the blemish from the lives of these historysheeters. Sikera says that “I am shocked to see aged people of 70-75 years, who are ill and handicapped and still are accused to be notorious ‘tormentors’ and historysheeters, specially when they have been proved innocent in the court”. Not only this, the police have filed cases of people involved in pick pocketing and such petty crimes, under the aegis of historysheeters. In this district, the police have identified 1,752 people under the category of historysheeters.

Muzzafarnagar, known as the crime capital of U.P west, is infamous for a long time for crimes such as kidnapping for ransom, extortion, murder and robbery. Apart from this, Mahendra Singh Tikait’s Indian Farmers Association, has its head office at Muzzafarnagar. Sometimes the local farmers protested against the police organisation, violating the order of the Police, and during this protest, they captured several officers, and at times murdered them. All the attempts to keep the Tikait and its followers under control failed due to this protest miserably. But Sikera adopted a plan which was very innovative and helpful and which provided relief to the state police. The reason for such violent protests being the blemish of being a historysheeter was a matter of shame and dishonour for them. For example, Ishwar Singh of Penchkala was accused of booth capturing and other such anti-state activities, twenty years ago in Muzzafarnagar. Ishwar says “I had to face humiliation for several years, for being involved in this criminal case. When I went when to meet Mr. Dharmvir Tyagi, the then Member of Parliament, for help, he simple refused to recognise me”, whereas Ishwar was caught booth capturing for Tyagi himself. Now he says that “The closure of history sheet by S.S.P Sikera, has given me a new lease of life.”

Under the jurisdiction of Purkaji police circle, when Bunda, aged 75 who is partially blind and deaf, from Tughlaqpur village, was released from the charge of being a historysheeter, fell at the feet of Mr. Sikera with gratitude. For the past 45 years, he did not commit any crime, but still he was recorded as a notorious tormenter in the police registers of history sheeters, which was finally by closed Mr Sikera.

In the first session of Panchayat, in Shyamli Police Station, such scenes were common. Nakli Singh expressed his happiness when the blemish of being a historysheeter was removed from his life, and he said that “Even after giving up weapons 30 years ago, I still had to report to police station regularly. Now I am spared of that humiliation, I am highly grateful to S.S.P sahib”. The Panchayat which was organised on the 5^th and 8^th of May announced the closure of the history sheets of 215 people. Mr. Sikera is planning to organise the third Panchayat very soon.

Mr Sikera is known as a versatile police officer, with new innovative ideas. Without increasing the economic burden on the government, he suggested a policy appointing a number of constables, which was accepted by the Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who decided to implement this policy. The surveillance of the functioning of the activities of the police through computers was also approved by the state government.

The policy of improving the status of the old criminals caused a stir in the police department. In Lucknow, a high designated Police Officer says ‘To sit with the historysheeters, was a matter of great risk for the district police head, even if they are inactive.’ Sikera says “No doubt, this step involves great risk, but it falls under the jurisdiction of law, which was approved by the higher authorities of the Police.”

Though only the lucky ones have got relief from this humiliation. In the police records, still there are many people who have been registered as historysheeters.

CONVERSATION WITH NAVNEET SIKERA

“This is the repentance of mistakes”

An extract from the conversation of Mr. Navneet Sikera, S.S.P Muzzafarnagar, with the Panchayat of Historysheeters

Qs. What made you think about the history sheeters?

Ans. I was shocked to see the names of aged, helpless people in the register of historysheeters. Many of them have not been involved with crime, since years. But due to political pressures, their historysheets were not closed by the Police. I went through their records, and decided to close their historysheets.

Qs. Is it justified to organise Panchayat for the closure of historysheets?

Ans. It is our responsibility to change the criminals and to bring them into the mainstream society is our duty and responsibility. The police committed this mistake earlier, but now I am rectifying the mistake by closing the historysheets.

Qs. On what basis was the list of these historysheeters made?

Ans. I decided that on four parameters. Firstly, the historysheeter who was not involved in any criminal activity for the past 15 years, secondly who did not leave his native town, thirdly who regularly reported at the police station and lastly who was leading a peaceful life. Then the emancipation of such a historysheeter was possible.