IPS officer standing tall with his prison reforms

By Gopal Ethiraj, Chennai

CHENNAI; 15 June (asiantribune.com): Here’s one standing tall with his recent prison reforms in Tamil Nadu. As DIG Prisons, R. Nataraj eclipses almost the Raman Magsaysay award winner for prison reforms in Tihar jail in the 90s, Kiran Bedi, I.P.S.

If the former IG Prisons Kiran Bedi for the first time brought transparency in prison administration and worked for the personal liberty of convicts and cared for their mental health, R. Nataraj went beyond to revamp the ‘prison industry’, (as he views so the prisons in general) brought in the NGOs to make use of the prisoners’ labour and skill and made prison an income generating ‘organisation’ for the inmates. He proved the convicts had better talents.

In a chat with Asian Tribune, R. Nataraj, who last week took charge as DIG Fire Services, says he believed in the philosophy of 4Rs in the matter of punishment and retribution—reformation, rehabilitation, reintegration and re-socialisation. “Theory of punishment is based on the notion that the punishment is to be inflicted on an offender so as to reform him or her or rehabilitate them so as to make their re-integration into the society is easy,” he says.

“Crime might have been committed for various reasons—circumstantial; emotional, accidental—for which they undergo punishment, according to law, confined in secluded place, but their right to life, equality, personal liberty should not be affected,” he says, who based his philosophy of reformation in the prisons on that lines. Theory of punishment and retribution says there should be opening for reformation and rehabilitation; Nataraj has only added reintegeration in the society and resocialisation for which he equipped them with a trade.

He says there are 134 prisons in the state, and nine are central prisons and two open air prisons, and at any given time about 6500 convicted prisoners undergo punishment, serving punishments from one year to life term. “And so it is an industry of a sort,” he says.

Through the NGO, the prisoners in Puzhal are baking bread, running a Bakery, that is being marketed for the general public. Having given them the benefit of education, Nataraj made them journalists too; they are publishing a weekly titled “Insider” that is being circulated among the prison mates all over the state.
To discourage unauthorized cell smuggled into prisons, he granted permission for them the chat with their family members on phone once a week.
In Tirunelveli last year, 17 life convicts received their postgraduate degrees, the first of its kind in the country; 16 of them had passed MA in History, the other did his PG in Tamil through distance education. And for the first time in the country that a convocation was conducted in jail premises.
In an attempt to keep in touch with ordinary people and share his ideas with them, the former director general of police (Prisons) Nataraj has set up a website (http://www.natarajips.in) and started blogging (natarajips.blogspot.com) as well. His blog can also be accessed through his website.
Stating that he enjoyed receiving emails and comments on his blog, Nataraj pointed out that students aspiring to enter the civil services had sought his guidance. "A few others asked me to clarify some of the complicated cases. They are sending me emails and contacting me on my mobile to ask queries. I spend at least 15 to 20 minutes a day to update my blog and expect it to turn out to be a discussion forum," he said.
Nataraj's blog is inspiring and informative. In Paran', he mentions about instances that have left an impact in his mind. In another column Kannottam', he writes about human trafficking, traffic regulation, security during important occasions and other social issues. In Nigazhchigal', he writes about the functions he has participated in.
Whichever department Nataraj had handled in his 34 year of service, he created a niche for himself by making a mark. He has maintained professional ethics of a high order
Such police officers could be counted by a single hand.
A 1975 batch IPS officer, he holds Masters degree in Physics, Masters degree in Public Administration and a Degree in Law. He is currently pursuing PhD in Madras University.
In his First Charge as Sub-Divisional Officer in Tirunelveli, a notorious outlaw “Sivalaperi Pandi” who was evading the police for nearly a decade was nabbed by a Special Party under his Command. He distinguished himself as the Head of the Combined Police Expedition to hot springs in Ladakh in September, 1980.
He was deputed to Government of India in 1986 and served as First Secretary in the Embassy of India, Kathumandu, where he co-ordinated several security related issues. He served as Deputy Inspector General of Police, C.R.P.F from 1994 – 1996 and supervised the Operations of C.R.P.F troops deployed in terrorists affected areas in Jammu & Kashmir and in North East India.
Posted as Additional Director General of Police, S.T.F., in December 2001, he evolved a Tribal-friendly approach as a focal point of overall strategy to nab the Veerappan gang through the willing cooperation of the people in over 400 villages spread over the districts of Nilgris, Cimbatore, Erode, Salem and Dharmapuri.

He served as Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai from November 2003 to April 2006, when he initiated a scheme to make ‘Chennai City’ the safest and ‘Chennai City Police’ the most efficient.
As Additional Director General of Police in State Human Rights Commimission from May 2006, he initiated awareness programme on Human Rights. He was deputed to attend International Conference on Human Rights in Vienna in February 2008. He served as Additional Director Of Police, Economic Offences Wing, where he organized mega distribution of recovered money to the depositors in two major Non Banking Financial Companies. He served as Additional Director General of Prisons and promoted as a Director General of Prisons and is now heading the Fire services administration.

He was awarded President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1993, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of Independence Day -1999, S.T.F Gallantry Medal in 2004..