The Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) has a new director general of police (DGP) in RP Upadhyaya, who took charge on Saturday. He has replaced SBK Singh, who has been shifted out to Mizoram. What comes as a matter of reassurance for the people of the state is that the new DGP earlier had a stint in the state. He was posted as ASP in Tirap district in 1994, and also served as the SP of East Kameng district. These experiences will come in handy in performing his duties as the DGP. Also, since March this year, he has been working as commissioner to the governor, further giving him more idea about the state and the challenges that awaits him.
DGP Upadhyaya has taken over the baton at a time when the state is going through a difficult period. A series of murders in the last few months has shaken the people of the state. Once known as a very peaceful state, today Arunachal Pradesh is witnessing an increase in the crime rate. Apart from the law and order problem, the insurgency problem in Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL) districts continues to present a big challenge. The horrific murder of MLA Tirong Aboh and 10 others in Tirap shows that Naga militants still rule the roost in the TCL region. Further, during the riots that hit the capital complex at the time of the anti-PRC agitation, the frailty of the state police was fully exposed. It badly demoralized the state police and they are yet to recover from the trauma. The new DGP will have to take up these challenges and set things in order. It will not be easy, but it is something not impossible too. First of all, the DGP should begin with modernization of the state police.