The Saga of KANESTABALA (Constable)

Constable is considered as the lowest rank of Police back home. Not sure if the same goes with their counterparts in England. On the aftermath of crimes in UK, often a Constable talks to the media. In India rarely that privilege goes to anybody below the rank of an IPS (Indian Police Service), which was incidentally called Imperial Police Service for a long time.

In Odisha, the Constable is locally addressed as KANESTBALA, in a derogatory sense. He is always close to the commoners and often being ridiculed for his disproportionate figure of thin arms and limbs, with a protruding belly. With his physique, forget about catching a thief, he can't even catch a mouse. A gentleman who once retired as DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) got into a squabble with a peon ( a person at the lowest hierarchy in a job) in front of my house. The DSP boasting for himself said "You know, I retired as DSP ?" The year was 1988. The Peon retorted back with his ready wit " You might have retired as DSP, but you must have started your career as a KANESTBALA (constable)". So the Peon had the last laugh at the expense of the Constable.

Though butt of jokes, the Constable is envied for his job, which can bring UPURI (extra income) while he can still rub Ghee (clarified butter) on his moustache and work uninterrupted until he reaches the age of 60, lack of promotions being damned.

There used to go a saying in Odisha

MACHHA KHAIBA ILISI

CHAKIRI KARIBA POLICI"

"Hilsa is the fish you should cherish;

The job you should do is Police".

No wonder, except perhaps the sub-Saharan Africa no where the police is as corrupt as in India and the job is most sough after. When the fence starts eating the crop, or the RAKHYAK (the keeper) becomes the BHAKHYAK (eater), it speaks for itself. Reminds me of this stanza from the Kishore Kumar's song "Chingaree Koi Bhadke'

MAZDHAR ME NAYA DOLE TO MAAJHI PAAR LAGAE;

MAAJHI JO NAO DUBOYE USE KAUN BACHAYE"..

Transliterated

"If the boat capsizes in mid river, the boatman rescues all;

 If the boatman himself capsizes, who saves him after all ?"