Vigilance is not something that you generally associate with children or young adolescents, let alone policing. But this story is about those select few students who volunteer for the Student Police Cadet. Yes, you read that right. There is something like that in Kerala. In fact, it has been around for exactly 11 years nothing. P Vijayan IPS has been at the helm of the Student Police Cadet since the very beginning. Now an Inspector General of Police, he talks about how it all began and the surprising feedback that led to the formation of the SPC.
"We were conducting a workshop that dealt with the interaction of the public with the police, back in 2006. As part of it, we invited about 400 students from various schools to understand what impression they have regarding the police. It came as a shock to us that most of the children had a very poor image of police in their mind. That is when we realised that there isn't a constructive platform for the police to interact with the people, especially young children," says Vijayan.
"We already had institutions like the NSS and NCC working among the students. But they have been doing that since the 20th century. We wanted an approach that was set in the 21st century and that is how the SPC came to be," adds Vijayan. The principle of inculcating the right sense of abiding by the law is not lost on Vijayan. "It is of fundamental importance that the children recognise the fact that laws exist for the security of the people at large," he says.
"It dawned on me that children are the ideal demographic entity to invest in for several reasons. Firstly, they are in their formative years so their identities are not set in stone. Secondly, they are the ones who will lead a longer lifespan. Thus, the return on their investment will be long term," Vijayan opines.
Speaking on the overall development that a cadet receives, Vijayan says, "We have several dimensions of training for the cadets. Firstly, there is the physical quotient. We train them to be fit. For this, we have an outdoor training programme that involves parade, cross-country running, karate, kalaripayattu, yoga, etc. Then we have the intelligence quotient that is done via assignments in the personality development programme. Thirdly, there is the ethical dimension. We also have the societal dimension that teaches the cadet to always serve the society. Finally, we have the entrepreneurial dimension that teaches them to come up with ideas for their own enterprise."
The change in people that the SPC has brought about can be heard through the unflinching voice of Harinandana KB, a super senior cadet at Ekalavya Model Residential School in Pookode of Wayanad. "I am proud of being a Student Police Cadet and conducting its duties. I have been able to transform my personal identity through the SPC. I am now very confident in speaking to people. I have also been able to learn about the laws that govern our society. We have also been made aware of societal ills like substance abuse," she says. Her teacher at school, Ambili S Warrier, a Community Police Officer, adds, "The duties the cadets undertake do not end after their enrolment ends. They continue to serve the society. I feel the effect of the SPC has really rubbed off on their studies as well. Out of 14 students who secured A+ in all subjects in Class X, 11 were Student Police Cadets."
Even the police officers who are tasked with handling the district units of the SPC are all praises for the change that has been brought about. Suresh Babu, an Assistant District Nodal Officer at Idukki, says, "Here, a lot of kids come from broken families where parents have abandoned them. Many of them take to substance abuse from a very young age. At the SPC, we hold several awareness sessions to teach children the ill-effects of such social evils. And because of the SPC, we have been able to reach out to the public and reduce the number of people affected by drug abuse."
Babu also talks about the sustained efforts that the cadets undertake towards environment protection. "We often see the failed attempts at planting a sapling wherein after plantation, the plant is ignored. Here, at the SPC, the students are taught to plant just one tree sapling but then, also care for it throughout the year and beyond as well," he adds.
The project has really taken off in the 11 years since its inception. In fact, in 2018, the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had launched the Student Police Cadet programme across the nation. Vijayan says, "We had several visits from other states' officials that focused on the Student Police Cadet programme here in Kerala and it was then replicated in other states. We were glad to share our success with them because, ultimately, our motto is 'We learn to serve'."
