Friday, March 6, 2009

Times of India, March 25, 2007




Not just another cop!

Could an insult from a policeman ever ‘inspire ‘ you to throw away your ambitions and join the police forces to win back once lost dignity? Well for Navneet Sikera, it surely did. Fourteen years back and straight out of IIT, Navneet was excitedly hunting for his dream job as a software engineer when an incident that occurred changed the course of his career altogether.

“We had gone to police stations seeking help since my father had been getting threat calls; but the way police insulted my father left an inedible impact on my mind. Why should a dignified man be abused at the hands of an irresponsible policeman? That very day I decided to stand up to my father’s honour and things were never the same.

Indeed they weren’t. For Sekera sat for civil services exam same year and was selected the following year. Two years thence he stood tall as ASP of Meerut with a vengeance to bring justice to all those from whom it had been snatched.

It has been 10 years now that Sekera has proudly been rendering his duties towards a profession he never intended to venture into. But the experience has been truly exhilarating, he says.

“It’s a lovely profession, far more satisfying than any other. In these 10 years, I have become a much softer person than what I was. Having associated myself with people from all strata, I have come to understand their pains and predicaments in a much emphathetic manner.”

Born in Agra, Sekera secured his high school education in a small town Aeta and then graduated onto pursuing engineering at IIT Roorkee. At 35 he is happily married and is revered as a daredevil cop, a encounter specialist. He fights for a cause and doesn’t flinch to stand by righteousness.

People love me. It’s the criminals who are wary of my ways. “I ‘m no encounter king, I only believe in fulfilling my duties to the level of perfection.”

Extremely emotional, he is a man rich in values instilled in him by his father, and one with grit that one could only wish for.

As he elaborates on the struggle entailed to play a cop, he clearly loses no opportunity to vindicate the police department of the blame it has suffered to date. “The number of people working for police is extremely low and we aren’t granted any leave. We put our blood and sweat more than any other but fall back when it comes to infrastructure,” laments this Scorpio.

Looking back at those years when he had just stepped into the profession with a mission of initiating a revolution, how much of it has really been achieved? “Depends on the officer. It’s a wonderful profession provided one does it honestly and with righteous intentions. However the position is misused at times, but then we are people who belong to this society and thus behave in a certain way typical of society,” he justifies.

18 comments:

  1. Nice to see this. Keep them coming.

    --Rajesh Mishra

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  2. dear sir
    we are proud of you. you are star... enjoy the life ........
    ----N.P.Singh (9720171612)

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  3. Dear Navneit, i had read this when it was published in the paper..good refresher..keep it up. U r the pride of the land!!!

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  4. Navneet.. Attack on dreaded criminals, in accordance with law, is needed to make the society free from fear..we have to do it with the approval of public, law-agencies and government ..

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  5. Dear Navneet

    It's good & heartening to see police officers like you. I wish all the best for your efforts.

    Punit Srivastav
    Architect
    Lucknow
    09415418151

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  6. we are all proud of u sir...jai hind!

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  7. Dear Navneet

    just going through your blogspot ....

    Presentaion is excellent here ..like it very much ..

    nice to know that you are in lucknow now a adys

    Thanks
    Abhishek Agrahari

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  8. Dear Navneet,

    we proud of you.......... you have taken a great initiative for society

    Ajay K. Raghuvanshi

    Rohini Delhi

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  9. Dear sir,
    when u was in meerut as SSP i was 14.till then i m struggling to become an IPS.
    .....JAI HIND.....JAI BHARAT...
    DILBAG SINGH (+919654139589)

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  10. heelo sir u hv been my inspiration...frm the dayzz i was doing my graduation i hv attend ur seminars..in lucknow..it was a privilege to know such a brave Officer...thank u soo much for keeping the faith and trust..of the common people this country needs you...
    Warm Regards
    Rahul...

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  11. Really Nice Navneetji,I have seen u in news ,and always thought that you are different.
    Today happened to see you on my Facebook and went on to read your Blogspot.
    I am really inspired by your contribution to the society.
    Please let me know if I can be of help anytime to you ,cheers and keep the work flowing....Vishaal Tandon (vishaal.tandon@gmail.com)

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  13. a very inspirational story sir and pls keep up the good work..we need more people like u .....the Indian police needs to be sensitized wen it comes to general public issues

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  14. i do feel myself swell with pride

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  15. inspirational sir, i hv seen u in gold gym indirapuram heard abt u , hatss off sir

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  16. If there are barbarous people in the society who only know how to exploit others then there are also good people like you who instill that feeling of courage, inspiration, determination and will power in others to fight against acts of brutality and injustice. Really Sir, hats off to you. The earth is still a good place to dwell because we have officers like you. All we need to do is play our part well and contribute in the upliftment of the helpless and underprivileged who are marred by inequality and injustice.

    Your admirer
    An IAS aspirant

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