There are some individuals whose personality bears unique characteristics which remains perennially unforgettable. One such human being was Mangu Singh, serving in Delhi Traffic Police. As luck would have this charismatic officer was assigned the responsibility of managing high profile area of Civil Lines Delhi.
LG’s ( Lieutenant Governor of Delhi ) residence, Delhi Civil Secretariat, Delhi Assembly, Delhi University, Delhi Engineering College, Transport office, Tees Hazari Courts, Inter State Bus Terminus ( ISBT Kashmere Gate) , St Stephen’s hospital, Police control room, Metcalfe house (DRDO) all fell within its jurisdiction.
Traffic remained chaotic not on account of bad regulation, but on account of its sheer volume, constricted roads were unable to bear a heavy overcrowding. Ring road, National highway no 1, connecting North India with Capital city, Boulevard road and Rani Jhansi road remained a perpetual traffic bottleneck.
LG daily made a couple of trips to New Delhi in connection with his urgent official chores. Many a times slow moving, bumper to bumper traffic seriously hampered a speedy clearance of LG’s official limousine. LG finding himself struck in helpless situation, often dispatched frantic messages to Commissioner of Police questioning the efficiency of elite Delhi Traffic Police. These signals percolated down to Inspector, while cascading down the hierarchical channel of Add CP, DCP, ACP gathered a lethal momentum.
Poor Mangu Singh had to bear the frontal brunt of an deadly avalanche of official wrath.Trained in an atmosphere of extensive regimentation, questioning sagacity of senior officers in uniformed services amounts to nothing less than commission of a serious disciplinary act.
Finally decided enough was enough, Inspector Mangu Singh firmly resolving not to tackle snorting bulls by their horns, but rather catch the ferocious tiger by its tail. On fine morning walked straightaway to LG office, declaring his intention to discuss LG’s traffic movements in the Capital.
Without beating about the bush placing the ‘duty rooster’ before Lieutenant Governor, challenged him to chart a better configuration of duties with the available traffic personnel. Pointblank he proposed, if honorable LG succeeded in this endeavour, he would forthwith submit his resignation from Delhi Police.
Mangu Singh, explained in details about multiple traffic problems posing a serous impediment in smooth flow of vehicular traffic. LG found himself decisively checkmated. Further, Mangu Singh requested the LG to enter into a unwritten agreement, that in future he would refrain from sending SOS messages to Commissioner of Police, rather directly inform him.
LG, warmly shaking hands with Mangu Singh accepted his proposed quite reasonable offer. They, summoned me to LG office, where a few photographs were snapped as record of scripting this historic agreement between Lieutenant Governor Delhi and Delhi traffic police Inspector Civil Lines.
Gentlemanly, Lieutenant Governor Air Marshal HL Kapur sincerely honored this agreement.
(Note: Author of the article is retired Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police)
