Thulla (n) :Cop
The term causes a reflex reaction in youngsters, to get out of sight the moment they see a cop. A muttered‘Saale thulle’ is what usually completes this response to stimuli. Just recently a colleague was having a smoke and she took a complete U-turn from the way we were headed, when she saw a cop come our way. The fear of harassment completely obliterates the fact that they are here to keep us safe. Policemen are not the heroes we usually extol for their commendable work, is that justified?
This is a shoutout to all the cops of Delhi who at some point have gone out of their way to help a victim. The ones who do not exploit their position and have practiced a sense of discipline and especially to those who take their duty seriously when shit hits the fan. Trust me, they do exist. I did not gain this sense of respect for them overnight.
I’m familiar with stories of delays by the police. But, there are those too who take the job seriously. An example is a policeman who helped catch the guy who molested my friend. Even when the crowd whined, “Arre madam jaane do, jaan loge kya?” This Thulla (as we call them) came running from the other end of the street, paid no attention to public opinion, asked us if we were okay and handcuffed the perpetrator who was then taken off. All of this happened in a matter of five to seven minutes. Let’s try not to draw hypothetical parallels of the story without the cop, considering the mass public support we got.
A man once pinched me on my way back home. It was a late winter evening and kudos to his balls of steel, because there were two policemen right behind him who held him down when I screamed and asked me to dial 100. The police arrived in less than fifteen seconds, we were taken to the police booth where an F.I.R. was registered, and I was sent back home.
I knew there would be court appearances, but little did I know that the judicial system is a long, long tiring process. But for my first appearance in court, I was patiently guided through the process by the sub-inspector. The case is still open and the S.H.O. has never backed away from giving me any required assistance.
We all glorify the armed forces for their acts of bravery, swooping in, in the event of a national disaster, defending our borders, and fighting wars against the enemy. But are they the only heroes we have? Are we not forgetting the heroes we see every day? These are the men and women who have to guard the roads for hours in the wake of a national event, come heat or high water, they’ve helped find stolen cars and even missing people. Are they all bad cops?
So here’s to the policemen of my city: This is for all of you who at some point have gone out of your way to help us, and keep us safe, a big thanks to you. Sometimes the good we do is overshadowed by the bad, but it does not lose its power. Your deeds of justice and kindness hold a lot more power than the corruption that people see.
Feature image source: Cobra Post