Kuladhar Saikia has donned many hats: a former consultant at World Bank, a writer who bagged the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his short story collection, an IPS officer who went on to become Assam's top cop and now elected to head the state's top literary body.
As the former director general of police (DGP) of Assam, he is credited with efficient handling of the situation to ensure law and order in the wake of the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the wide scale of protests in the state against the citizenship law last year.
He retired as DGP on August 31 last year but was given a three-month extension. On Thursday, he emerged winner in the election for the president of the Axom Xahitya Xabha, Assam's highest literary organisation.
On his new role, Saikia says, "The more than a century old literary organisation Axom Xahitya Xabha needs to be more inclusive in creating a bridge between multitudes of ethnic groups through literature and culture in the state. Young generation writers should be the prime movers in the Xabha to allow creative exchange of ideas with those of other states."
The former IPS officer, who was appreciated in the all India DG/IG conference held at Kevadiya, Gujarat last year, for his handling of the situation in Assam post NRC, feels that in the modern digital age, social media has the power to overthrow regimes but its effective management by the police can help curb the spread of rumours and quell protests before they turn violent.
As the country witnesses protests over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and a possible pan-India NRC, Saikia says law enforcement agencies must enhance their impactful presence in the social media.
"Law enforcing agencies have to face the emerging challenges thrown by the advent of new technologies and the resultant crimes," the decorated 1985-batch IPS officer told PTI in an interview.
"The wide reach of social media provides potential for spreading fake news at lightning speed that may lead to serious law and order issues," he adds.
"However, if the police reach out to the people by utilising social media platforms for meaningful interface, quick responses and responsible policing, trouble can be averted. We have to learn to live with the tech revolution. Technological advances have to be taken in your stride by ensuring continuous upgrading of the skills of the police forces," he says.
It may be recalled that the NRC till now has only been conducted in Assam on the directions of the Supreme Court.
Several parts of India have seen violent protests over the contentious CAA, which grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
Five people died during the protests in Assam following which a week-long curfew was imposed in the state.
Later, the protests spread to other states, including Uttar Pradesh and Delhi where loss of lives was reported.
Internet services in several states were also snapped in an attempt to contain misuse of social media.
Saikia stresses that police will have to keep pace with the speed, spread and skills of social media, integrate it with the overall law and order planning and crime management by upgrading the existing social media cells through continuous capacity building of the force personnel.
During his tenure as chief of Assam Police, it was made mandatory that all district police units use social media platforms to reach out to citizens for healthy interactions.
Counselling sessions were held by local police on the uses and abuses of social media among students, teachers and guardians.
Campaigns were launched through Facebook and Twitter handles on important matters like road safety, drug prevention, mass lynching, social prejudices and women safety. Assam Police got accolades for meaningful social media initiatives.
"Police need continuous sentisitisation on tech skills for investigation, changes in social evolution and cultural dynamics to understand the issues for conflict resolution to effectively counter law and order situations. People centric policing should be made part of training programmes," Saikia says.
He further says that maintaining peace without the participation of civil societies is an uphill task and authorities must proactively use social media to ensure that truth reaches the public."
"The healthy coalition of security forces and people needs to be highlighted for building a sustainable trust amongst the stakeholders," he says but refused to comment on the current situation in Assam.
A Fulbright scholar, Saikia used his wide social connect to make people effective partners in ensuring security and law and order management in the whole process of the NRC. There were campaigns by police with the local populace and social action groups, social media updates on real information thereby arresting the spread of fake news.
"The leadership had to ensure that the Team Assam Police work to build up trust with the people as their unequivocal participation is the key in mega exercise like last NRC updates process for ensuring public peace and tranquility," Saikia, who won the Sahitya Akademi award in 2015 for his short story collection "Akaxor Sobi Aaru Onyanyo Golpo" (Portrait of the Sky and Other Tales).
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