Role of the Indian Police in the Management of Law and Order and Enforcement of Human Rights During Covid-19 in India

An Analysis

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm. Governments worldwide were caught unaware and had to resort to emergency measures to combat the rapid transmission of the coronavirus. The measures commonly adopted to prevent the pandemic were the imposition of lockdowns and movement restrictions in several countries across the globe. India, too, imposed stringent restrictions on movement as a measure to control the spread of the virus. For imposing the lockdown measures and ensuring that the people follow the rules laid down for territorial mobility, the role of the police was pivotal as well as crucial. They had to perform twin functions of securing brassbound lockdown arrangements and making essential and emergency services, including food sanitation and healthcare, accessible to the common people. The primary role of the police is to regulate and maintain law and order. The catastrophic situation required the police force to look beyond its traditional role and perform additional duties of assisting with supplies of essential goods, enforcement of mask mandates, social distancing measures and regulation of crowds in the hospitals. They ensured assistance when the patients required critical assistance in securing medical aid and life-saving equipment like oxygen cylinders. However, there were also reports of police brutality and excessive use of force to enforce public health and social measures.

The study analyses how the police performed their role in maintaining law and order when the COVID-19 pandemic struck India. The police performed several tasks, which included the enforcement of the lockdown, ensuring access to vaccines and facilitating the course of people during health emergencies. However, there were also negative police responses, where they engaged in brutality and harshness against the general public. The paper also suggests how the negative aspects of policing during the Pandemic can be improved in the future.