Mrs. Violet Baruah is used to being ‘first’ in Assam. First woman DSP. First woman DIG. And now first woman IGP. The 2004-batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police yesterday, making her the first woman in Assam to hold that position.
In an exclusive interview to Indian Masterminds, the first lady IG of Assam Police talked about her impressive career that have seen her beating many colleagues to important postings and shared how she met the many challenges that came with such responsibilities.
NEVER SAID NO TO ANY ASSIGNMENT
The Assam government promoted Mrs. Violet Baruah to the rank of Inspector General of Police with effect from 1 January 2022, making her the first woman ever in this post in the state.
She was also the recipient of President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service this year and had received the President’s Medal for Meritorious Service in 2012.
The Assam Police’s senior most woman IPS officer, who had joined the force in 1992 as a Assam Police Service officer (DSP) and got nominated to IPS in 2004, is currently posted as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (BTAD) in Kokrajhar district.
The 59-year-old officer had earlier served as the Superintendent of Police in four districts – Morigaon, Goalpara, Cachar and Barpeta. She also worked in the CID wing of the Assam Police for a while.
Looking back on her long career, Ms. Baruah said, “I never said no to any posting. Wherever I was sent, I went. Whatever assignment I was given, I took up. Rejecting a task has never been my style of functioning. This is the reason I was away from Guwahati, the HQ of Assam Police, for better part of my service years.”
ON GENDER STREAMLINING
On being asked what took so long for a woman to reach the post of an IG in Assam when, in other states of India, there have been instances of woman reaching the top echelons of the police department, even becoming the DGP, Mrs Baruah opined that it was basically women officers’ reluctance to take up field postings that prevented them from reaching the top.
She said, “Women police officers usually are hesitant to take up field postings as those are very hectic and involve a lot of hard work and work pressure. This leaves very little time for family. Yes, gender empowerment is taking place everywhere, and Assam is no exception. However, what we need now is gender streamlining, so that more and more women break gender barriers and reach the top.”
GOALPARA WAS HER BEST POSTING
The senior officer considers her posting as SP Goalpara as her best by far, so far as job satisfaction is concerned. It was here that she faced some major challenges and overcame them gracefully to lead the district strongly as the police chief.
And, she feels now, that being a woman helped as she was naturally more sensitive and empathetic and was well inclined towards caregiving. She fondly recollects a few incidents that are etched in her memory, and which had left a mark in the district as well, where people still remember her as ‘the caring officer’.
“A sudden cloudburst had created havoc in the district. People, livestock, houses were washed away. As the waters receded, dead bodies could be seen lying around everywhere. People were in shock and trauma. I personally went to those places to be amongst the people and supervised the relief work.”
Similarly, she was the first to reach remote villages in the district when communal tensions were at peak at one point of time and a riot-like situation was taking shape.
“I was advised not to go to those places because of safety reasons. But I still went. When I reached, the people’s fears were somewhat allayed and their resentment assuaged to some extent as they felt the SP had come herself to take stock of their situation. They asked for the DC, and I had to pull up the new DC who had joined for not visiting the affected areas to review the situation.”
SHE OPTED NOT TO SHOOT A SURRENDERER
Giving more glimpses of her empathetic nature, Mrs Baruah narrated to Indian Masterminds about an encounter with a young ULFA militant.
“I got news about a young militant holed up deep inside a forest. I went with my team and found him. He was heavily armed when we closed in on him, but I strictly instructed my men not to shoot. I felt that the guy would surrender, and we should give him a chance. After he surrendered, I asked him why he didn’t fire a single shot. His reply stunned me. He said that he felt that since a woman police officer was leading the team, he would not be killed. He felt safe. He felt that a mother was approaching him, and a mother cannot kill.”
CREDITS CAREER SUCCESS TO FAMILY SUPPORT
Mrs. Baruah credits her family for her career success. Her husband Pradip Barua is a retired Food Corporation of India officer. Her daughter Urvashi is based in New York, pursuing studies in films, while her son Raktim is a computer engineer, with office in Noida.
“The children never complained that their mother was always busy with work and was away from home for long periods. My husband, too, encouraged me to focus on my work and held the fort during my absence. When my daughter was born, he took care of her alone, as I was extremely busy learning the ropes in my very first posting. I could not have reached this far, today, without my family’s support,” she concludes in gratitude.
