Manoj Kumar KC is not an unfamiliar name in Nepal amid yet to be resolved fake Bhutanese refugee scam. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), who leads the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Department, is credited for launching and speeding up investigation on the scam and the people involved in it. But there is another identity lurking behind the persona of probably the busiest police officer in the valley. He is a researcher, an academician, an avid reader and a writer. PhD in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies from Pannasastra University of Cambodia, SSP KC recently brought out a book entitled Enhancing Policing in Nepal. Nepal Live Today talked to him to unravel the secrets of his writing.
A book is not born so easily. There are circumstances, contexts and drives behind it. What triggered you to write Enhancing Policing in Nepal?
This started after I completed my PhD degree. I was a trainer most of the time when I served at Nepal Police Academy. When I taught the new police officers they shared with me the situation of crime and security in their respective areas of duty. It was found that in some areas, crime rates were low but the sense of security among the people was not high and the people were not happy with the way the police were working. In other places, crime rates were high but the sense of security among people was not low. People seemed to be very happy with the way the police were working. The cooperation the police received from people in such areas was also phenomenal. This was a strange situation.
I found the same situation when I was in the field in Morang—a district with a variety of social settings, geography, people—as the chief of District Police. More criminal incidents were reported in areas where income level and education level of people was high. Where education and income level was low, crime rate was low. This presented a very important issue. This meant that there were so many dimensions and dynamics at play. So I made a point to study this matter in depth. Then I launched different programs, interacted with people, and launched focused group discussions. This made me understand what sense of security is and how it is built. You will get the details in the book but this book is about how the sense of security builds, how the sense of insecurity is developed among people, what elements contribute to it and how and when the police can and should intervene.
To sum up, the book is about why the people feel no sense of security, how the sense of security actually builds up in a community and how Nepal Police can help in that matter. The book makes an extensive use of qualitative and quantitative data and is based on human security informed policing.
What is the human security informed approach in policing? Can you explain a little?
Often policing and human security are not dealt with together, as if they are completely different domains. They are not. They are interrelated. Human security informed approach is a model where human security issues are incorporated in policing. Without connecting human security in policing we cannot develop the sense of security among people and community. The conclusion of the book is that human security informed policing can help build up a better sense of security among the people in the community. I drew many theoretical frameworks for this book from my PhD research and my own reflections thereafter as a chief of district police in Morang and Rupandehi.
PhD requires a lot of hard work and intense study. How did you accomplish it?
Well, it’s a long story. I was born and raised in Tupche, Nuwakot. I passed my SLC in 1990 from Siddhartha Vanasthali School in Kathmandu. I was a science student during my college life. I did my ISc from Amrit Science College and BSC from Tri Chandra College. Then I joined Nepal Police and have been in the police service for the last 25 years. Within five years of joining the police service I completed my master’s degree in sociology from Tribhuvan University. When I was posted at the Police Academy I got another opportunity to study further and I pursued a Master’s degree in Public Administration. I had to deal a lot with governance issues at that time and MPA studies helped me a lot. I have always believed that the studies related to your career helps you to better understand the issues and deal with the problems in a more efficient way. When you have knowledge of the respective field, you can do it with distinction or make a difference in whatever field you may be in.
‘I applied for the master’s degree in conflict transformation in Cambodia but was eventually offered to continue for PhD as well by the University. So I returned home with a PhD degree.’
In the meanwhile, the decade long armed conflict was coming to an end in 2006. The country had witnessed several deaths and destructions and we were suffering as a society and the nation. The major issue at the time was how to deal with post-conflict situations. It was important for security agencies and the officers working there to understand and study peace and conflict. Various peace building programs were being run in the country. An international training was being conducted here, where I was a participant. The modular training on peacebuilding and conflict really fascinated me because I could relate what I learned with our own context. I saw that conflict and peace was something that we needed to understand in depth. So I started to look for avenues to study and explored scholarship opportunities. I finally won a scholarship to study a master’s degree course in Cambodia. The degree was so fulfilling for me because I could relate whatever I studied in university with what was happening in my home county and other conflict-ridden countries. Because I did well in my master’s studies, the university offered me a scholarship for PhD as well.
To cut the long story short, I had gone to Cambodia to do a master’s degree in conflict transformation for two years but was eventually offered to continue for PhD as well by the university. So I returned home with a PhD degree.
The book is based on my PhD research, especially the theoretical part. This was also the most defining time of my life. It taught me how to look at and handle the security situation through system approach. It gives me pride to share with you that I initiated the idea of action research within Nepal Police research system.
You are among the busiest police officers in Kathmandu. How do you manage time to write and read?
Yes, professionally I am very busy at my work and the place I work at is also one of the busiest places. But when you have passion for reading and writing nothing stops you. For the last several years, I have made it a point to read almost two hours a day, no matter where I am and how busy I am. I usually reach home in later hours but I read for almost two hours before I go to bed. Whenever I am free, which I rarely become, I follow the books of my passion. Reading is a precondition to writing. I believe my reading habit has helped me a lot to hone up my writing skills.
‘Read the book and give me honest feedback. A writer will never know how well s/he writes unless the readers tell them how they write.’
Any final words about the book?
Like I said before, Enhancing Policing in Nepal is based on research. The arguments are supported by facts and evidence. It may be useful for those who are studying and researching security issues. I want to say to my valued readers, read the book and give me honest feedback. A writer will never know how well s/he writes unless the readers tell them how they write. Readers are my source of inspiration and they are my teachers. I want their feedback, whether negative or positive.
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