By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net,
R B Sreekumar has three masters degree in his business card, and he can thank Narendra Modi for his degrees. Not long ago Sreekumar retired as Additional Director General of Police of Gujarat. He was denied a promotion by the Gujarat government and he could not become Director General of Police.
As an IPS officer, Sreekumar started his police career in Gujarat in 1972 and worked there till his retirement in 2005. As head of intelligence, he was given several instructions by politicians and police officers which he considered illegal and meticulously recorded in a semi-official diary. He gave affidavits and reports to National Human Rights Commission, Central Election Commissions and Nanavati Commission going against the official government line angering the state government.
Soon after, he was transferred to a position where he had no responsibility and no job to do and therefore he made good use of his time and got himself additional masters degree.
He was recently on a tour of the United States attending American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) convention in New York and talks in various cities sponsored by Indian Muslim Council-USA (IMC-USA).
TwoCircles.net talked to RB Sreekumar about the change in Gujarat society that led to post-Godhra violence. He says small issues between people and community that can get easily resolved at the local level become nationalized and communalized making it difficult for easy resolution.
When asked how we can tell if Gujarat violence of 2002 was pre-planned, he informs that Muslim businesses that had Hindi names and even displayed Hindu deities were attacked, suggesting that information about businesses must have been gathered months in advance.
He also talks about how policemen’s action or inaction that leads to tense situations getting out of hand. He wants police officers to have strong conscience and be brave while doing their job. The worst that can happen to government officials is that you will be transferred but personal discomfort is a small price to pay for holding the law and the constitution.
As for RB Sreekumar, he fought a legal battle against the Gujarat government and was promoted as Director General of Police after his retirement. He lives in Gandhinagar and is working actively for justice to the victims of Gujarat genocide.