In KPS Gill’s demise the country has lost a gallant police leader of indomitable courage and uncanny professionalism. He was an unparalleled master of police operations. India’s success in thwarting Khalistani terrorism in the Punjab and bringing the state back from the brink of an abyss will always be linked with his name. It was the worst of all times and many feared that Punjab, convulsed by terrorist violence, murder and mayhem would break away from the country. Fortunately. at this testing time, the Punjab police got two outstanding leaders to fight back the scourge of terrorism and revive the police – Julio Ribeiro and KPS Gill. They were different in many ways but wonderfully complemented each other. Ribeiro revived the flagging morale of the Punjab police and strengthened their resolve to fight back and not yield ground to the Khalistani goons. Gill led the police from the front in their gory battle against the terrorists.

Gill belonged to the Assam cadre but heroically volunteered to second for the Punjab police to join the battle against foreign inspired terrorists. At that time many faint-hearted police officers were leaving no stone unturned to avoid posting or deputation in the Punjab police. I know the case of an officer who went to the High court to obtain an injunction against posting in Punjab by trotting out various specious pleas. It was indeed a war, an outrance between the police and the terrorists armed to the teeth, flushed with funds and with safe havens across the border.

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Tall, straight and taciturn, Gill led his men from the front and knew the art of electrifying them. When the terrorists with a view to undermining the morale of the police started attacking their houses and killing near and dear ones, Gill’s message to the force was to pay the cowards back in their own coin. Punjab police officers gallantly responded to his call and came forward to man vulnerable posts savaged by the terrorists and settle scores with them. He was a past master in working out and executing police operations based on intelligence inputs. Operation Black Thunder was successfully carried out under his direction when terrorists holed up inside the Golden Temple surrendered without savage fighting and bloodshed. There was an aura of awe around him. His subordinate officers both feared and respected him and remained fiercely loyal to him.

I used to meet KPS Gill at police conferences and seminars and always appreciated his capacity go to the heart of a matter quickly and sum up points at issue succinctly. As the Director of the National police Academy, I made it a point to invite him regularly to address IPS probationers. When I invited him to take the salute at the passing-out parade of IPS probationers, some eyebrows were raised. Some traditionalists were not happy because instead of calling political dignitaries like the President of India, the Prime Minister or the Home Minister, as was the practice, I called for the first time a serving police officer to do the honours. I thought that it would be a befitting recognition on our part of the yeoman service he had rendered to the country at a critical juncture. The probationers were elated and excited. Gill rose to the occasion and gave a stirring call to the young police leaders to be secular and Catholic and live up to the best traditions of the Indian police. It is true that some of his methods were unorthodox and inconsistent with human rights rules and norms, but the truth of the matter is that the Punjab police was facing a war like situation.

It is true that during the high noon of terrorism in the Punjab, there were some avoidable excesses by the police . Some of the wounds still remain unhealed and rankle the victims. There were some avoidable excesses by the police. Some of the excesses were bona fide but some were premeditated. However, Gill gallantly stood by his men when they were hauled up before courts or commissions for alleged excesses. He never tried to distance himself from his subordinates and stuck his neck out. There was no doubt a failure of supervisory authorities in and outside the police like the executive magistracy and the courts to exercise proper supervision to prevent abuse of untrammelled authority. Gill, as the head of the police force cannot escape this criticism.

One feels sad that Gill did not get due recognition from the country when the hydra-headed monster of terrorism was vanquished in the Punjab and peace returned after a long nightmare. Some of his unorthodox methods got wider publicity than his sparkling achievements and great service to the nation. Orchestrated calumny and rancour however, will not belittle the great service he has rendered to the country . He will stand out as one of the tallest police leaders of our time.

(The writer, a retired IPS officer, was Director, National Police Academy, Hyderabad and Director General National Human Rights Commission)