The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Children quiz a police officer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Children quiz a police officer

Staff Reporter

Banning beggars from operating in a particular locality or area is only a temporary solution.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Beggary can be prevented only through rehabilitation and eradication of poverty, Inspector-General of Police Rishi Raj Singh has said.

Banning beggars from operating in a particular locality or area is only a temporary solution. An alternative means of livelihood should be found for them.

Mr. Singh was speaking to children attending a summer camp organised by the State Central Library in the city on Tuesday.

The police officer is of the view that begging is relatively negligible in Kerala and Punjab.

Positive impact

Regarding the crackdown on pirated CDs which he carried out recently, Mr. Singh said it had a positive impact on the Malayalam film industry. "You can manufacture a CD for just Rs.5, while making a film can cross over Rs.2 crore. If the pirated CD menace continues unchecked, people will stop going to the theatre to watch a movie and our superstars will become history," he said.

One of the participants wanted to know whether Mr. Singh had got any special training in nabbing criminals. "Catching criminals is a part of our duty. But we receive training on how to go about it."

According to him, hazards are a part of the life of a policeman. The risks they face on duty are much greater in States such as Jammu and Kashmir, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Work culture

Asked about his opinion about the people of the State, Mr. Singh said that people who worked in the State were less industrious than those Malayalis who worked outside. A work culture should be ushered in the State, he said.

The hour-long interactive session began with Mr. Singh urging children to follow rules while walking along the road. It was estimated that eight persons got killed in road accidents every day in the State.

Pedestrians were often the major casualty. Always remember to walk only on the right side of the road, he told them.

The police officer urged the students to spend their spare time in outdoor activities and talking to friends instead of whiling away their time in front of television.

"Today, children seldom go out of their homes and play. After school hours, they sit in front of the television sets with eatables in hand. This will turn them into couch potatoes," he said.

Over 100 children from various city schools took part in the camp.

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