THE POLICE chief of India’s western Rajasthan state has called on his force to lose weight and become fit because “a fat, potbellied man in uniform is a sight nobody appreciated”.
HC Meena recently set an example himself by twice jogging 10km (6.2 miles) in less than 50 minutes at police recruitment drives during which a large number of candidates fainted. One candidate died while negotiating an undemanding obstacle course.
“I wanted to send a message across not only to the police force but also to all young recruits that any person who can complete a 10km run more than satisfies any fitness criteria for recruitment into the police. This is the mother of all tests,” he said.
Mr Meena’s proposal has been resisted by local politicians and other senior officers who say the 10km jog is too long for such hot temperatures. “In Rajasthan, it is hot nine months out of 12. If a policeman cannot withstand the heat, then what is the point of joining the force in this desert region?” Mr Meena countered.
Other provinces face similar problems. Earlier this year five overweight policemen fainted in the western port city of Mumbai during a routine 30-minute parade and greatly embarrassed city police commissioner Arup Patnaik. He instructed all overweight policemen to lose weight or face harsh commando training.
Obesity among police officers is endemic across India, seemingly in proportion with their reputation for corruption. According to a survey by global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, two out of every five of the 22,728 people randomly surveyed said they routinely bribed policemen for doing something that was their right, such as registering cases or investigating thefts and misdemeanours.