Alok Mehta urges leaders not to defame India over selective crime narratives.
New Delhi:
You might recall the old song: “Deewano, aisa kaam na karo, Ram ka naam badnaam na karo”. I feel a similar urge to appeal to today’s power players: “Please don’t bring disrepute to Bihar, Mumbai, Delhi — or India — in your hunger for power.”
As election season heats up, politics over “Lalu’s Jungle Raj” and “unchecked crime under Nitish” has become rampant in Bihar. In Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray is fighting a heated battle for control over the Rs 75,000 crore budget of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. This has led to confrontations over language and power, echoing far beyond Maharashtra.
In Delhi, a wounded Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi continue to raise the pitch on crime and water woes. As a journalist — and more importantly, as a citizen — I too am concerned about rising crime. We must speak up. But only by thoughtfully addressing issues can we push for genuine reform.
This reflection was prompted by a call from Ritika Langar, a senior executive at a global finance company in London. She asked, “Is crime and political instability as bad in other Indian metros as it appears in Delhi, Mumbai, or Patna? Some investors are getting wary.”
My response: “Ask them to check crime records in London or New York first. Many Indian cities are comparatively safer.”
Without taking sides, I would suggest that Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Arvind Kejriwal, and their advisors take a hard look at rising crime in their favorite city, London, before putting up sensational billboards. Consider this not a bias, but a reality check.
According to the British Retail Consortium, in 2023–24, there were 20 million retail theft incidents in the UK — worth nearly £2 billion (Rs 200 billion). That’s around 2,000 thefts per day. Are gangs of 4–5 looting market shops daily in any Indian metro with similar frequency? Are store staff instructed not to intervene? Absolutely not.
While political or administrative corruption is another matter, London retailers do give such instructions. Looters with suitcases and trolleys ransack multiple shops in a day. One store was hit three times in a single day. With the police largely passive, these gangs act with impunity — often viewing this as a right. Many thefts go unreported. There were 1,300 assaults on store staff last year, a 50% rise over the previous year. Most of these crimes are carried out by organized gangs.
In 2023–24, London recorded 116 murders, up slightly from 112 the previous year. There were over 55,860 thefts, but charges were framed in only 3,462 cases. Rising crime is attributed to inflation, unemployment, youth gang culture, and drug addiction. Despite this, the UK government has not increased law enforcement budgets or manpower. In fact, police budgets are being slashed, and layoffs are expected.
Greater London’s population is around 9 million. The Metropolitan Police employs about 33,201 regular officers and 1,127 special officers — roughly 310 officers per 100,000 residents. Budget shortfalls of £400–450 million in 2025–26 may force the layoff of 2,300 officers and 400 staff, leading to the “lowest staffing levels in history.” Public safety and patrolling could be severely impacted.
Now compare this with Patna, which has a population of 2.7 million, and Bihar, India’s second most populous state with 130 million people. In Bihar, 72–73% of murders are attributed to personal enmities, land disputes, or illicit relationships. Bihar Police claim the cognizable crime rate is 277.1 per lakh, lower than the national average of 422.2.
The state’s murder rate has halved over the last two decades, with 2023 witnessing the lowest rate in 24 years. In recent months, 14,962 arrests have been made. Crackdowns and patrolling in Patna have also brought a dip in murder and violent crime. While attacks on police and killings of businessmen remain serious concerns, authorities insist Bihar is doing better than perceived — though the opposition voices fears of deepening insecurity.
So, let’s not ignore America’s gun violence or London’s soaring crime while criticising India. Of course, we must continue political, administrative, and social efforts to tackle crime — but let us do so without discrediting the entire country. This is not just about a single party or state — it’s about protecting India’s global reputation.
