Fighting the right battles

WOMAN OF STEEL

A lot of energy, dedication, commitment and hard work go into becoming an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. Meet one such officer, Sonia Narang, who is Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Division) Bangalore. A woman with zero tolerance for those who violate the law of the land, Sonia is known for her deft handling of volatile situations. Naturally, she is no stranger to controversy.

She began her career as a probationer in 2004 in Gulbarga district. She was given the responsibility of managing crime-infested Afzalpur during the elections. “I thrive on challenges,” she says, recalling with a smile how certain local politicians made sure they never  crossed her path!

In 2006, in Davangere, where she was posted as Superintendent of Police, she warded off trouble by ordering a lathi charge during a protest, in which Renukacharya, who was  BJP MLA of Honnali at that time, suffered a few blows! As a result, she found herself in the eye of a media storm.

When she was posted to Belgaum as Superintendent of Police (Sonia was the first woman SP of Belgaum district), she was in charge of maintaining law and order in communally sensitive areas, especially during the Assembly and Council sessions. She recalls how she travelled to every nook and corner of Belgaum, night and day, motivating her force and keeping a hawk’s eye on anti-social elements.

This tough-as-nails officer has a sensitive side to her, which she does not try to mask. She recollects an incident that happened years ago in Belgaum when five youngsters died in an accident. “The mother of one of the boys telephoned the police station, to enquire if her son was alive. Telling her the truth was the most painful thing I had ever done,” she says softly.

Khaki’s call

Sonia hails from Chandigarh. Her father, A N Narang, who retired as deputy superintendent of police, is her role model. An excellent student (she topped Class 12 exams and was awarded a gold medal in her bachelor’s programme), Sonia went on to earn a Master’s degree in Sociology from Punjab University.

“I  had always wanted to enter the civil services because I wanted to make a difference to the lives of others. Thanks to my father, I got to see from close quarters that a uniform commands respect. That is what made me pursue a career in the Indian Police Service,” she says.

Her training stint at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy in Mussoorie is particularly memorable, she says, because that is where she met Ganesh Kumar, who soon became her husband. The couple has a three-year-old son, Shaurya. I ask her who wears the pants at home and she retorts, “We love and respect each other too much to worry about such things! My husband is a great source of strength and support.”

Talking about work challenges, I ask her if she has ever had to battle harassment because of her gender.

“The police force is still a male-dominated profession, but attitudes towards women officers are changing. I have never faced any such situation. I am a police officer first, gender comes later,” she says. Observing that more women are joining the police force, she tells me that there are more than 200 women IPS officers across the country.

The life of a police officer isn’t easy and holidays are few and far between. When she gets a break from her duties, she hopes to visit Mansarovar. “It’s my dream to visit this oasis of peace and tranquillity,” she says.

A woman of simple tastes, Sonia admits that you won’t find her slaving in the kitchen but yes, she can put together a rather good rajma-chawal!

“I prefer to cook and eat food that is not too spicy and oily. If you must know, my family thinks I am a great cook,” she says.

On her book rack you will find the Bhagavad Gita, the writings of Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. And on her iPod are evergreen hits by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi.

Although she grapples with the not-so-nice side of human nature, day after day, as part of her job, this hasn’t robbed her of her belief in humanity and in the power of the youth to transform society. “Setbacks are a part of life, don’t be be demoralised by them. Concentrate on nation building. And success is sure to come to you,” she says in a message to young people.