https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

West Champaran Women Still Remember This IPS Officer, Who Gifted Them Dignity

Indian Masterminds Stories

Vimala Devi resides in a village in West Champaran called Betiah. She is a grandmother now but still has the same confidence and courage as that of a young woman in her prime, to face any situation life throws at her. Dwelling on the huge generation gap, the wise woman says that her daughters and granddaughters do not face the hardships she faced, but live their lives with pride and freedom. “If needed, we will fight for them, but won’t let them suffer. We are not meant to be oppressed by men,” she said with determination. 

Ms. Devi is not the only one with such a strong will. She is among many women who were victims of domestic violence in the Nineties, who learnt to fight for their rights because of the courage instilled in them by the then SP Abhyananad. And, now, they want the same for their daughters and granddaughters.

Indian Masterminds spoke to former DGP and IPS officer of 1977 batch, Mr. Abhayanand, who was posted as SP of West Champaran in 1990, to know why the womenfolk of the district still remember him with so much respect. 

JUNGLE RAJ

Mr. Abhyanand took over as the SP at a time when the district was completely under the control of criminals and was the epicentre of the so-called ‘Jungle Raaz’ in Bihar. Public feared to come out of their houses in evening. Police refused to register any complaint or FIR of a common man. In a place where even the men had lost the courage to stand up and fight, one can imagine the plight of the women. 

However, things changed drastically when Mr. Abhayanand joined as SP and along with the then Collector, Mr. G Krishnaiah, not only increased the security cover but brought remarkable changes in the district with their small interventions. 

Mr. Abhyanand (Former DGP- Bihar)

A local social worker and poet, Neeraj, says that people still remember that tenure. The impact those three years have had can be felt now too. He said, “People didn’t know the meaning of SP. For them, the SP was just a ‘Bada Daroga’ but Mr. Abhyanand proved that an officer can be a catalyst in social change if he has the vision. Otherwise, officers come and go. Some are corrupt and some are honest but not everybody is missed or remembered.”  

When Indian Masterminds asked Mr. Abhayanand, how it feels to be remembered by so many people, he said, “We all joined civil service with an aim to help the public. Everybody wants to give back to society. I really feel blessed to be in the prayers of so many. I joined the service to bring smiles and changes. If I have achieved that, then nothing like it!”

FEAR OF FIR 

The region was gripped with crimes, from kidnapping to ransom and timber smuggling. Many white collared criminals and political figures were part of this nexus. No police station would write a complaint without the permission of the ‘bahubalis’. ‘Jal, Jungle and Zameen’ – all were in their control. Even if somebody got an order from the court, it was impossible to enforce it. In that kind of a situation, one can very well imagine the plight of the women. It was unthinkable for them to go to lodge a complaint about domestic violence. 

But, all changed after the coming of SP Abhayanand. Now a victim could not only direct the police station to register the FIR, but also mention the section, thus rooting out any scope for misleading by the police. Not only this, Mr. Abhayanand also appointed a DySP to monitor the proceedings and ensure the safety of the victim.

As a result, women would make an excuse of visiting their parents and come down to meet the SP directly and register their complaint. This created a lot of fear among the men of the area and they refrained from any violence against the women. In fact, a saying became popular among the men: “We will till when this SP leaves.” While the women would pray that he would never have to leave this place. 

Kusum Devi had filed a complaint that her paternal cousin had married but he and his family were not taking the bride with them and were asking for more money. The SP ordered few staff to go and check. The team just met the boy,  and without having to register a complaint, the groom promised to take the bride home the very next day.

PROMISE OF SECURITY 

But it was not just homes where women did not feel safe then. They feared going to school or the hospital. Even female nurses were not coming to hospitals, fearing something bad would happen and police would not take any action. The government hospital was non-functional which gave the chance to quacks to flourish. Mr. Abhayanand and the DM did multiple meetings and promised to ensure safety of each working woman. He assured them that they should just come for work, and he will take care of the rest. 

It took some time but slowly the women gained confidence. And, they began to trust the SP’s words. And, so when he requested them to send their daughters to school, they did. The promise of security made the women come outside and join work, which eventually increased their economic status too. Women also became informants for the police, giving leads about criminals. They would even not hesitate to fight with them! 

HELPING MEN TOO 

As for the men, they were mostly sugarcane farmers but would not get adequate payment for their yield. The mill owners had the support of the ‘bahubalis’ and at time, the criminals would just loot the whole field leaving nothing for the poor farmers. 

SP Abhayanand, with the help of the Collector, started the practice of direct payment to farmers in their bank accounts, by the mill owners. At first, the banks opposed the idea of opening so many accounts, but both the officers made them do it. They also promoted the farming of other crops which would retain the production quality of soil. 

In that era, when people were living in fear and nobody knew the meaning of women empowerment, Mr. Abhayanand proved that an officer does not need to do anything extra. They just need to ensure that the men do not take away the rights of the women. In such a scenario, where women feel empowered, they themselves are capable of doing anything, not just ensuring their own safety and dignity.  


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT