Kohima, March 16 (MTNews): Noting that Nagaland is oscillating between two extremes – the traditional, customary practices on one hand and the modern codified Constitutional Law and the Criminal and Civil Laws on the other, the Nagaland Director General of Police, Rupin Sharma IPS has through a press release sought cooperation from the public for ‘greater adoption’ of modern laws.
While stating that Nagaland Police remains committed to and in understanding the importance of customary laws and practices in Nagaland and in any other society, the DGP observed that the state ‘swings’ between traditional practices and modern laws and said, “There is a tendency to selectively adopt or fall-back upon the one which benefits or suits us, to the detriment of others.”
Therefore, he beseeched cooperation from the public in ‘greater adoption’ of modern laws, which the police and modern state are guardians of. He added that Police in general and Nagaland Police too are mechanisms evolved from modern laws and, therefore, they draw their bases and strength from modern laws.
He further explained that the traditional, customary practices are, by their very nature localized in their evolution, development and implementation and, therefore, their use beyond local boundaries is “fraught with limitations and handicaps and can cause confusion.”
Meanwhile, he viewed that modern laws emanating from the Constitutional values are more universal in application and that their application cuts across divisions like gender, age, geographical area, religion or region and the like.
“While we at Nagaland Police would endeavor to act professionally within the confines of law, we would seek your cooperation in building some ‘unique models’ of ‘police-public partnership’ so that we can lay the foundations for a peaceful atmosphere in the State for better development and a secure environment where citizens can enjoy the fruits of an emerging India,” the DGP concluded.