Amod Kanth writes his memoirs
For an Indian Police Service officer it is difficult to sit every night to write a diary to record events of the day or find time to do research on sensational crimes and unfolding historical moments. But celebrated retired Delhi Police IPS officer, Amod Kanth did that and has come out with his memoirs, Khaki in Dust Storm: Police Diaries Book-1, which talks about many untold facts of the incidents that rocked Delhi and the country. As DGP, Arunachal Pradesh for two years, Kanth was able to recollect three decades of police work and write in bits and pieces.
Kanth’s memoirs are more about the experience that he gathered through his “journey in heat and dust”. Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Kanth said that India had the most violent decade of 1980s, until the 1991, when in the CBI as DIG Investigation (SIT) he had the chance to probe the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
This book, a gripping story of investigations, begins with the narrative of the early 1980s going through Punjab extremism, Operation Blue Star, Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the author’s personal experience of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. It divulges the intricate connections of communal and other riots within the political and social environment of the time.
Kanth had investigated Delhi’s transistor bomb blast cases claiming over 80 lives, followed by the political assassinations of Congress leaders Lalit Maken and Arjun Das and General A.S. Vaidya. “This period of the 1980s not only witnessed the worst phase of terrorism in Punjab and Delhi, it also simultaneously plagued society with the drugs scourge and I had myriad occasions to deal with this most lethal organised crime, with Delhi becoming one of the focal points,” says Kanth, adding, “when you have a ringside view of history in the making, and your uniform assigns you a major role in the events as they unfold, it becomes your duty to record it”.
Kanth has also brought out his ideas on policing, the socio-political impact on crime and terrorism, and the unholy nexus that exists between lawmakers, law-enforcers and those who take the law into their own hands. “I hope Khaki in Dust Storm helps in the continuing evolution of our police organizations from being ‘forces’ to become ‘services’.”
“Unfortunately,” according to Kanth, “conventional policing is still being managed through the 1861-vintage Indian Police Act and the troika of criminal laws, that is CrPC, IPC and Evidence Act, which do not support the police as a service meant for the poor and the socially deprived people.” In his opinion, it has become a fashion among many police officers to be known as “encounter specialists”. He says, “The law does not permit this.”
Kanth has also earned the image of a social worker. Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre Society came on his call of duty as an extension of Delhi Police and developed to amalgamate the social work within the police set-up. His police job co-existed with his passion for social work. Kanth has worked in several technical policies and projects relating to Southeast Asia, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, US, on critical issues of child protection/juvenile justice, trafficking of human beings and education for the marginalized children. Now Joint Coordinator, NITI-Civil Society Organizations Standing Committee, NITI Aayog, Kanth was recognised as a model public servant and a “Global Hero” for his counter-trafficking efforts by the US State Department.
Taiwanese Businesswoman’s Incredible Journey to India
Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) has published a comic book that carries the story of how a Taiwanese businesswoman started her enterprise in India with the help of “mentors” who shared their invaluable insights. It is titled An Incredible Journey to India.
This was revealed by James C.F. Huang, Chairman of TAITRA, on Wednesday on the occasion of the launch of the three-day third edition of “Taiwan Expo in India”, jointly organized by the Bureau of Foreign Trade (MOEA) and TAITRA.
Huang, Chairman of TAITRA, told The Sunday Guardian that India and Taiwan, two technology powerhouses and natural economic partners, would unlock the vast potential of the Indian economy in all areas, including manufacturing, medicine, and technology.
“This year,” Huang said, “we helped to connect over 10,000 Indian health and medical professionals with Taiwan’s leading medical providers to share and exchange anti-Covid-19 experience.”
Because of the pandemic, this was first virtual Taiwan Expo, which hosted over 650 meetings to connect 270 companies (150 from India, 120 from Taiwan) to explore business opportunities. Baoshuan Ger, the de facto ambassador of Taiwan to India, said “India has been proactive in seeking global partners to join its ‘Make in India’ policy and we believe Taiwan is an ideal candidate to work with.”
The Expo featured exhibitors across six categories: Medical & Health Care, Lifestyles & Beauty, Charming Formosa, Premium Selection, Precision Industry, and Smart Tech. Through this online platform, TAITRA aims to present even more of the latest technologies and cutting-edge solutions from Taiwan companies. The bilateral trade between India and Taiwan exceeds US$7 billion in 2018, indicating a year-on-year growth surpassing 25%. Regarding investment, an increasing number of Taiwanese enterprises, such as Foxconn, Wistron, Pegatron, Teco, and Delta Electronics, are planning to expand their investments in India.
The opening ceremony was attended by Dr Guann-Jyh Lee, Deputy Director General, MOEA; Gourangalal Das, Director General of India-Taipei Association; Chung-Kwang Tien, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in India; Ajay Prakash Sawhney, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology; Rajesh Agrawal, Executive Director of India Trade Promotion Organization and Deepak Bagla, Managing Director & CEO of Invest India.
Malaysia Hockey Match That Led To A Love Story
After an eight-year courtship, wedding bells finally rang for Indian hockey team captain Manpreet Singh (28) and his Malaysian fiancée, Illi Najwa Saddique (27). The wedding took place at a gurdwara at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar in Jalandhar on Wednesday. It was followed by lunch for about 60-70 invitees at Manpreet’s native Mithapur village. Manpreet donned a ceremonial Punjabi wedding suit complete with a turban, while Illi wore a Punjabi bridal costume.
Sharing his love story, Manpreet told The Sunday Guardian that “We met in 2012 when I had gone to Malaysia for the Sultan of Johor Cup. She was among the spectators. We had a brief interaction and I was carried away by her charm. I managed to get her phone number and stayed in touch. We got engaged in February 2014.”
Illi is getting accustomed to Punjabi culture and has already become fond of it. Her new family has given her a Punjabi name, Navpreet Kaur. The Malaysia-born bride’s family hails from Pakistan. Illi was working in a private university in Malaysia. Manpreet has been India’s captain since May 2017. The mercurial halfback has so far played 242 matches for India and scored 19 times.
Man Mohan can be contacted at rovingeditor@gmail.com