Assam Police: Implementing Its Strategy 10
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CONTENT Chapter Title Page No. 1 Team Assam: Working Together at a Time of Crisis 1 2 Assam Police: Implementing its Strategy 10 3 Assam Police: Fighting the Pandemic 17 4 Policing During the Pandemic: Perspectives from the Ground 52 5 New Dimensions: Policing in The Future 61 6 The DGP Speaks 67 7 Case Studies 73 Annexure 91 1 Team Assam: Working Together at a Time of Crisis 1.1. Background: The Coronavirus & its Spread According to Chinese Government data, a 55 year Viruses are perhaps more diverse in nature than old person from Hubei province of China may have humanity itself. One such virus, namely the been the first person to have contracted COVID-19 coronavirus, is now wreaking havoc around the on 17 November 20195. However, at that time world. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that doctors did not link his illness with coronavirus. It cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, was only in late December that doctors realized they these viruses cause respiratory tract infections that were face-to-face with a new disease6. And, then the can range from mild to lethal. Coronaviruses in number of cases began growing exponentially. On humans were first found in the 1960s1. The latest 13 January 2020, the first COVID-19 case outside strain of coronavirus was first reported and linked China was reported in Thailand7. It was followed by to a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China, in reporting of cases in Japan on 15 January, Korea on December 2019. The virus was named “severe acute 20 January and USA on 21 January. Italy recorded its respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” first case on 23 January and Canada on 25 January. by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Soon confirmed cases were reported from Singapore, Viruses (ICTV) on 11 February 20202. On the same South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia and Taiwan by day, World Health Organization (WHO) announced 31 January. India reported its first case on 30 January. “COVID-19” as the name of the disease caused by Iran reported its two first cases in 19 February. this virus3. It was declared a ‘Pandemic’ by the WHO Confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported from on 11 March 20204. European countries like Germany, Finland, Italy, Russia, Spain, France, Sweden, Belgium and United 1 Kahn, Jeffrey S, McIntosh, Kenneth, “History and Recent Kingdom from the month of February. Soon, cases Advances in Coronavirus Discovery”, The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: November 2005 - Volume 24 started being reported from around the world. So far, - Issue 11 - p S223-S227, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/16378050 pandemic-declaration/ 2 World Health Organization (WHO), https://www. 5 “China’s First Confirmed COVID-19 Case Traced Back who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/ to November 17”, South China Morning Post, 13 technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease- March 2020, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/ (covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it article/3074991/coronavirus-chinas-first-confirmed-covid- 3 Ibid. 19-case-traced-back 4 “World Health Organization Declares COVID-19 a 6 Ibid ‘Pandemic.’ Here’s What That Means”, TIME, 11 March 7 WHO Timeline – COVID-19, https://www.who.int/ 2020, https://time.com/5791661/who-coronavirus- news-room/detail/08-04-2020-who-timeline---covid-19 COVID-19 has affected around 210 countries and Lockdown 1.0: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, territories around the world.8 in a televised address to the nation, announced a lockdown in the country for a period of 21 days 1.2. Response of the Indian Government with effect from 25 March 2020 to break the On 30 January 2020, India confirmed its first chain of infection. A Rs. 15,000 crore stimulus COVID-19 positive case. The patient was a student was announced for healthcare spending devoted from Thrissur in Kerala who had returned from to boosting healthcare resources such as hospitals, Wuhan, China.9 The efforts to contain the spread PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), isolation of the virus in the country began in the month of wards, beds and ventilators. On 2 April, the central January itself, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Government launched an application called Aarogya leading the efforts from the front. He addressed the Setu developed in public-private partnership to help nation several times to lay down the roadmap for the track coronavirus infection among people. fight against the disease. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Lockdown 2.0: The second phase of the lockdown National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), began from 15 April to 3 May, with certain economic too began to immediately work on the modalities to relaxations. On 26 March, Government announced contain the pandemic. Screening, contact tracing, Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan testing and isolation became a matter of priority for Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help the Government. them fight the battle against COVID-19. On 16 April, lockdown areas were classified as “red zone”, On 19 March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra indicating the presence of infection hotspots, “orange Modi in a televised address to the nation announced zone” indicating some infection, and “green zone” a 14 hour “Janata Curfew” from 7 am to 9 pm with no infections. The Government also announced on 22 March, urging people across the country certain relaxations from 20 April, allowing to face the coronavirus pandemic with collective agricultural businesses, including dairy, aquaculture determination and patience. As millions stayed and plantations, as well as shops selling farming indoors to help check the spread of coronavirus, on supplies, to open. On 29 April, the Ministry of 22 March, India reported a total of 360 COVID-19 Home Affairs issued guidelines for the states to allow cases (319 Indian Nationals and 41 Foreign inter-state movement of the stranded persons. Nationals) from 23 States/UTs.10 Lockdown 3.0: After a thorough examination of 8 COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic cases, the Government on 1 May extended the https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?utm_ lockdown until 17 May with considerable relaxations campaign=homeAdUOA?Si 9 “Kerala Reports First Confirmed Coronavirus Case in in the orange and green zones. Inter-state movement India.”, India Today, 31 January 2020, of people via road and rail began during this phase www.indiatoday.in/india/story/kerala-reports- of the lockdown. On 12 May 2020, Prime Minister first-confirmed-novel-coronavirus-case-in- india-1641593-2020-01-30. Narendra Modi, in his fifth televised address to 10 “Coronavirus LIVE: India Records 360 Coronavirus the nation since March, announced the launch of Cases, Seven Deaths.” National Herald, 22 Mar. 2020, ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’. It is a special financial www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/coronavirus-live- updates-covid-19-india-wuhan-us-italy-who-alert-novel- package to revive the Indian economy with a total coronavirus-latest-news-22nd-march. 2 Picture: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and other Chief Ministers of the states on 27 April 2020 via video conferencing outlay of Rs 20 lakh crore.11. Jyoti Mahanta; Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), Indian Railways, Airport Lockdown 4.0: The fourth phase of the lockdown Authority of India and Departments like Health in the nation began from 18 May till 31 May 2020. & Family Welfare, Social Welfare, Food & Civil Inter-state movement of people continued during Supplies, etc, were all part of this Team Assam. this phase of the lockdown, with special flights too A State Level Advisory Committee, under the being allowed to transport stranded passengers. Chairmanship of the Assam Chief Secretary, was Unlock 1.0: The Government announced the fifth formed to manage the state’s response. In fact, in phase of lockdown from 1 to 30 June. Also termed Assam, the entire exercise of handling the pandemic as Unlock 1.0, during this phase the lockdown was seamless from day one, with every department restrictions were gradually lifted. and agency working together in every step. 1.3. Team Assam: Fighting the Pandemic The Assam Government began preparing its response While handling the COVID-19 pandemic, the against the pandemic even before there was a single various arms of the Government came together COVID-19 case in the state and the lockdown had to work as one team. This ‘Team Assam’ was led not even started. Starting 15 January 2020, the state by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Health Government kept a total of 55 suspected persons Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma; the Council who came from China under observation12. This of Ministers & other elected representatives; the civil administration, led by Chief Secretary Kumar 12 “No case of coronavirus in Assam: Health Minister”, The Sanjay Krishna; Assam Police, led by DGP Bhaskar Economic Times, 5 March 2020, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/ politics-and-nation/no-case-of-coronavirus-in-assam- 11 Ibid. health-minister/articleshow/74486608.cms?utm_ 3 was stated by Assam Health Minister, Dr. Himanta On 18 March 2020, the state Government issued Biswa Sarma, in a written reply to a question in the ‘The Assam COVID-19 Regulations, 2020’17. Then Assam Legislative Assembly on 3 March 2020. He on 21 March, it issued ‘The Assam COVID-19 had further stated that, “Out of 55 persons, 46 have Containment Regulations, 2020’18. These completed the observation period. The remaining regulations were issued to deal with the measures to are under observation in home quarantine for the be taken to control and prevent further spread of the incubation period. Till now two persons have been disease.