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Armed Police in the British Colonial Tradition: The Indian Perspective

NCJ Number
141331
Journal
Cahiers de la Securite Interieure Issue: 11 Dated: (November 1992- January 1993) Pages: 63-73
Author(s)
D K Das
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Of the two forms of policing that the British exported to their colonies, the government-controlled, Irish Constabulary style was the choice for India. It later proved useful for the British colonies of the third world to safeguard the imperial interests.
Abstract
Unlike the local authority and ministerial image style of the Metropolitan model, the Irish Constabulary style was based on civil force and the maintenance of order in foreign lands. It was this model that Britain exported to her Indian colony in 1612. The article reviews the Irish model in detail, its development both at home and in the colonies, and concludes that the Indian police force that developed was quite different from the French gendarmerie, Spanish Guardia Civil, Italian Carabinieri, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police primarily in its exercise of power. The Indian police exist to maintain order in a land of many differences rather than to enforce laws with arrest or inquiries. 22 references