In 2003, I was facing a potentially career-ending crisis.
A group of tribals from northern Kerala landed in Trivandrum and started agitating. As the City Police chief, I had to ensure that there was no violence or obstruction.
Since these were impoverished tribals, we wanted to avoid using force at any cost.
However, their leaders became hell-bent on forcing us to do a lathi-charge. They started blocking the gates of the Secretariat, so that the ministers couldn’t attend office.
And on a Friday, they blocked the last open gate. Now, there was no choice.
However, since the offices were closed over the weekend, we decided to defer action till Monday. In 60 hrs, police action was inevitable.
It would probably end my career. We would be portrayed as depredators attacking indigenous communities, like in the ‘Avatar’ movie. Rumour had it that they’d set fire to their own tents to blame us.
I couldn’t see a way out.
Fortunately, on Saturday, the government arrived at a compromise and the tribals called off the agitation.
Sometimes, when you feel stuck and can’t see a way out, just wait. Things change, and often, life itself shows a way out.
In this video, I talk more about handling difficult life-situations.
– Rajan