If 30 per cent of women in our country decide against giving dowry, then the problem will vanish by itself,” was Jija Hari Singh’s words of wisdom at a recent event in the City. The Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Home Guards, Karnataka, further emphasised on the above point by stating that most women these days are in a good position professionally and financially. “It is not required for them to fall prey to social evils such as dowry and harassment.”

In a chat with Kannada actress Vinaya Prasad, who plays an IPS officer in a teleserial on Zee Kannada, Jija Hari Singh enlightened the actress on the life of a police officer through the years along with offering tips on doing justice to the role.

Anupama (Vinaya Prasad in the serial by the same name), is a police officer who looks into the welfare of women. The main reason the topic of discussion focused on issues concerning women in the State such as dowry and discrimination, among others. Vinaya put forward her queries on these issues as well as the responsibilities and role of a police officer. Jija Hari Singh, who has been with the Indian Police Service for many years now, took the audience on a journey of her rise to the position she is in now. “The more people told me to refrain from becoming a police officer, the more I wanted to become one and that is one of the chief reasons for me being where I am  today,” she shares.

The ADGP then went on to discuss the attributes one requires to be an officer, the misconceptions and the way a police officer is perceived. “It takes a lot of hardwork not to look like a police officer (laughs). A burly, grim-faced person with bloodshot eyes and a big moustache is the image many still have of a policeman. This image is associated with crudeness and lack of culture. Which is not the case with all of us.

Yes, agree we need to exude authoritativeness, especially when we hold high ranks but police officers need to be sensitive while dealing with certain issues. Being able to empathise with a victim is a must,” she says.For Vinaya, this interaction was probably value addition to her role in the serial that has already aired its first episode on Zee Kannada.

“A lot of mental preparation went into this role and I need to keep growing with every episode. Everytime, I stand in front of the camera as Anupama, I need to better the representation of a police officer, doing complete justice to it,” says Vinaya.