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SHIFTING IMAGES

Changed perceptions

Milia Ali
I have always had a hidden fear of policemen. For some reason the very sight of the police sends alarm bills ringing in my head. Probably this mistrust arises from my childhood days in Bangladesh when we were threatened that the police would be called if we misbehaved.
We were made to understand that the main job of the police is to apprehend criminals -- not to mitigate crime or maintain social harmony. After I moved to the United States I began to see that the police play a much broader role in support of orderly civic life. Citizens often call 911 for non-crime related matters like medical emergencies, rescue operations and even organising traffic at fun fairs.
Fortunately, during my long stay here I have never had a brush with the law, except once when I was pulled over for a speeding violation by a policeman. The experience was a little intimidating but not traumatic, which is why my recent encounter with a policeman came as a pleasant surprise.
The incident took place during Christmas week when traffic tends to go haywire. I was attempting to find a parking spot in a busy shopping centre (which is quite a challenge at this time of the year). My daughter, who is currently visiting me, was strapped in the seat beside me. I marked a perfect parking space and, afraid of losing it, pressed the gas pedal furtively. Before I realised it, the car leapt over the curb and crashed into a metal trashcan just in front of a shop.
Yes, believe it or not, the trashcan buffeted the impact and saved us from a serious disaster. Had the car hit the
I still have questions about why there is so much evil under the sun but I think I now understand better how people working to maintain law and order can really make a difference in creating a trust-based society, storefront it could have smashed the glass windows!
Needless to say, I was badly shaken up. My immediate concern was my daughter, who is pregnant. Fortunately, within minutes the police arrived. I say fortunately because the policeman not only comforted us but called-in the paramedics to check out if my daughter needed any emergency medical help.
Luckily, all was well and the paramedics assured us that neither of us, nor the baby, had suffered any serious injury. However, what was most touching was the kindness and concern with which the police officer dealt with us. Not only did he make sure that all was well and I could drive back home, he took me aside and offered to contact my daughter's gynecologist to make an appointment for a sonogram. "You will sleep better once you know that the baby is doing fine," he said gently.
What could have been an encounter with mortality turned out to be an illuminating experience! I recall with infinite regret the times I have looked at a passing police car and felt a sense of discomfort. The accident helped counter the prejudice I had against people working for law enforcement.
One often hears and reads about "police brutality" in the United States as well as Bangladesh. However, we forget to mention the comfort they provide us in times of need. I am not sure whether this particular policeman stepped beyond the line of duty to console my daughter and me. What I do know for certain is that his warm, personal care helped me deal with a difficult situation with dignity and equanimity.
The episode generated a series of mixed emotions. The last few months of 2012 have been traumatic: the fire in the Ashulia garment factory, the violation of the Ramu Buddhist temples, the gang rape of a 23-year-old girl in Delhi, the murder of Bishwajit Das in a Dhaka street, the shooting of innocent children and adults in Sandy Hook Elementary School. All these incidents have created a crack in my belief of "men are basically good at heart."
I was beginning to think that I have been living in an ivory tower unaware of the messy and cruel reality outside. I had begun to doubt that there is enough good to counter the evil in the world. The small act of kindness from an unknown policeman restored, to a certain extent, my faith in human goodness.
I remember reading about the teacher in the Sandy Hook Elementary School who took the kids to a safe room and asked them to be quiet until the good guys came to save them from the bad guys. I wonder whether life can be compartmentalised in such black and white terms.
I still have questions about why there is so much evil under the sun but I think I now understand better how people working to maintain law and order can really make a difference in creating a trust-based society.
The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former employee of the World Bank.