Rankers vs PSP

“No noise, keep attention, ASPs are on the way to the ground for the parade”. “If rankers tend to chat in the ground or make your voice loud, disciplinary proceedings shall be initiated against all of you”. These were horrifying words of the drill instructor, used to deliver while the training session, underwent by the group of ranker police officers. This haunted throughout the service to promote police officers, building a mindset that, PSPs are superior and rankers are to live like slaves, regardless of ability and demeanor of known-PSP officers.

Nevertheless, a commoner, recruited directly is undoubtedly superior, qualifies the competitive exam possesses utmost capabilities/ abilities to compete and become a qualitative classic superior servant. They are called the elite class, chosen among thousands.

This drastic split between rankers and PSP officers is a major cause of increasing crime and confronting law and order situations. As on the very onset of my piece of writing, depicted the behavioral mindset, inculcated in the minds of promotee officers, that even at wrong-doing PSPs are right. Hence, low ranking, non-PSPs officers would always hesitate to work freely under the command of PSP officers, doubting that he would be punished departmentally on flimsy grounds, even though he was not at fault. This effect working and some like nurturing grudge among the rankers that for, the rankers hesitate to work freely, fight against crime in a sluggish way. Due to this mindset, the pressure of commoners, they tend to show fake performance to avoid departmental punishment.

This well-known metaphor in the Police department, represents PSPs and promotee class, differentiating as a superior group, Noori while the promotee is Naari. In other words, we interpret it as PSPs are like angels and rankers as devils.

Referring to the superiority and hatred of the superior class (PSPs), I remember in 2010, while undergoing a course at Sihala, PSPs (ASPs) under training were detailed for anti-riot mock exercise in the ground where the set of chairs and lavish food was arranged for PSPs. Whereas, rankers having more than 30 32 in service and some were near to retirement, were asked to sit on the grassy ground instead of arranging chairs for them as well. Due to this unjust behavior, one of the rankers raised his voice. But unfortunately, his voice was not heard.

Such thousand examples exist in our system where the senior ranker class has to bear the brunt of other elite officials. With such behavior how can we expect them to work up to the mark? It must be inculcated in minds that ranker officers bear a highly professional demeanor than a PSP officer. For better performance in the future, the department should focus on bridging the gap between rankers and PSP officers and seek examples from foreign countries where there is no ranking system instead everyone is treated equally.