NEW DELHI: In a bid to create popular pressure to ensure that the recommendations made by the high-power committee set up by the Union Home Ministry last September to replace the Police Act of 1861 with a new draft for modern policing see the light of the day, two former Prime Ministers, V. P. Singh and I. K. Gujral, have agreed to lend their support to the latest initiative for police reforms.

In a joint statement circulated at the National Roundtable on Police Reforms organised by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) here earlier this week, the two leaders said: "As former Prime Ministers, we are aware of the problems and obstacles but know also that these can be overcome through public support and popular pressure until the goal is reached."

Eminent public servants, jurists, academics, human rights activists and former police officers and civil servants will be participating along with Mr. Singh and Mr. Gujral to further the cause of police reforms under the aegis of the Watchdog Committee for Police Reforms.

Emphasising the need to see that the reports of the new committee — under the chairmanship of former Attorney-General Soli J. Sorabjee — were implemented, well-known journalist and chairperson of the CHRI, B.G. Verghese, said the reforms had been delayed by more than a few decades.

Former Chief Justice of India J. S. Verma said the framers of the Constitution had already provided expressly provided for the rule of law. But those who should be at the end of the rule of law were controlling it.

He, however, added that the quest for police autonomy should not be taken to the point where autonomy gave way to a licence.

Insulating the police from "unhealthy" political interference, creating bodies or mechanisms to ensure the same, establishing effective mechanism to deal with the complaints of the police and devising mechanisms to assess their performance were some of the issues discussed at the gathering.

While there was consensus on having a statutory body on the lines of the State Security Commission — recommended by the National Police Commission earlier — to insulate the police from "direct and undue" political interference, there was more than one opinion about how to deal with complaints against policemen and how to assess their performance.

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