A new book titled “Policing and Violence in India: Colonial Legacies and Contemporary Realities,” edited by Deana Heath and Jinee Lokaneeta, has been published by Speaking Tiger. This 368-page book explores the urgent realities of policing and violence in India today. It delves into the racial, historical and sociopolitical contexts that inform current practices.
The book’s publication could not be more timely, coming in the wake of highly publicized events revealing deep systemic problems within Indian law enforcement. The custodial deaths of Jayaraj and his son Bennicks in Tamil Nadu in June 2020 evoked outrage across the nation. These events sparked important national discussions about dangerous police behavior and practices. When arrested for allegedly violating discriminatory enforcement of Covid-19 restrictions, their resulting tragic deaths led to outrage, protests across the country in demand of accountability. Another critical case discussed in the book is that of Faizan, who died in custody in February 2020 following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The High Court described Faizan’s death as a “gross violation of human rights.” They labeled it a hate crime.
Heath and Lokaneeta take a deeper look at the role of policing in India. Throughout, they interrogate the ways that settler colonialism shapes today’s injustices. Further, the authors posit that historical conditions are at the root of the persistent and damaging current state of the Indian policing system. They argue that knowing and recognizing these legacies is the first step to cultivating a holistic mindset required to work towards transformative reform.
In their careful, artful analysis, the editors spotlight the dire, desperate necessity for reform in Indian policing. They state that studying past precedents can provide insight into effective solutions. This methodology puts the onus on stakeholders to grapple with the pernicious patterns of violence and discrimination pervading law enforcement today. The book is a powerful academic tool, providing a layered explanation of the political and sociological forces that influence policing today.
Policing and Violence in India , ₹799. Both timely and timeless, it aspires to inform an intersectional global audience of critics from the academic to the activist and implores all to examine India’s present culture of policing and fight for just reforms. The editors hope to excite discussions on how our understanding of the past informs the present. They hope to underscore the importance of changing structures that perpetuate violence.