Meet Odisha-born cop Basant Rath, who is youth icon in J&K for his flamboyant style
Bhubaneswar: One can love him or hate him for his flamboyant style and aggressiveness of issuing appeals and warnings to follow the traffic rules in Jammu & Kashmir, but this Odisha-born IPS officer Basant Kumar Rath has vowed to bring everyone including the citizens, politicians and police officials on right track.
Recently, Rath assumed the charge as the IGP (Traffic) in Jammu & Kashmir. Following his promotion, he landed in a series of controversies for his style of action directed at everyone who refuses to wear helmets and whom he termed as politically well-connected individuals.
Hailing from Odisha and an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), the 2000-batch IPS officer Basant Rath is best known for his straightforwardness on social networking sites like Facebook and microblogging site Twitter.
As if the Jammu and Kashmir people would love to see the traffic updates posts on Twitter by Rath after they wake up from the sleep in the morning.
In the militants infested state like Jammu & Kashmir, Rath is like a moving force in vehicular traffic system. He leaves no stone unturned when he catches anyone riding the bike without helmet.
His strict attitude in profession and dauntlessness has won many hearts on Twitter and Facebook.
Taking to Twitter Rath told media, the fourth pillar of democracy that continues to focus Rath for his style of action and delivering duty that it can never make him speak against his consent.
Dear Media, I speak what I speak. And you can’t make me speak against my consent. Respect is a mutual funds investment.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 18, 2018
One can analyse his attitude towards his duty and service after going through his series of tweets on Twitter.
Your absence is is more powerful than your presence. Like the lingering memory of the taste of a bitter fruit. But your presence is more soothing. Like the raindrops falling on the grass. Wislawa, please let me hold the umbrella. See, this is my Jammu, my Karmabhoomi, Love.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 18, 2018
On VVIP culture in traffic management he wrote:
Dear Jammu, in matters relating to traffic management under my watch, I do believe in VVIP culture. And the only VVIP in my book is the ambulance carrying a patient to a hospital. Everyone will have to give way to my VVIP. No discussions. No discounts. No browbeating.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
Spreading public awareness to use seatbelt and helmets while driving, he focused on the safety of people on roads.
Dear friend who goes live from his FB and Instagram accounts while driving a bike or a car. You are playing havoc with your safety and others’ as well. I intend to make an example out of you. And informing your parents about your criminal activity is not exactly my intention.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
The dutiful IPS officer knows the values of time that waits for none.
Dear Trolls, you can’t make me waste my time against my consent. I’ve a day job that ends at 11.30 PM.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
For the female two-wheeler drivers, he never relaxes traffic rules, rather he gives them only two options either to buy good quality helmet or pray for his transfer from the post.
A message for Jammu’s female two-wheeler drivers.
You’ll have to wear a helmet as long as I’m here. You have only two options. Only two. Buy a good quality helmet or pray for my transfer by tomorrow morning. Cheers.
Traffic laws are gender-neutral.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
The law-abiding police officer chooses duty over any kind of recommendation. Replying to a link, he sought only 90 days after his posting as the IGP in Traffic to bring reforms in the traffic system in J&K.
Jammu, I’m not here to be popular. I have a specific task at hand and I expect myself to deliver the results. A war is not a battle. A battle is not a war. Please give me ninety days. https://t.co/PwruSTqB3V
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
Recalling moral teachings taught by his mother, he believes complaints never give him wrinkles.
Friends, when I was a kid, my mother used to ask me to ignore people’s barbs and brickbats. Today, here and now in Jammu, I’m no more a kid and my Ma is no more with me. But things haven’t changed a bit. Complaints and complainants don’t give me wrinkles. I do what I do.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 16, 2018
As a police officer in full of action, he shares his Whatsapp number on Twitter asking people to use their smartphone and send any kind of unlawful act on road.
Friends, if you come across a traffic cop in uniform without wearing his or her nameplate in a clearly visible way, please use your smartphone and click a picture and send it on my Whatsapp number 9419018689.:You know I love you. I know you love me. Please show me your love now.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 16, 2018
He keeps on informing about the traffic rules to people. He is the officer who is accessible to public in Jammu.
Friends, I stay away from my phone for three hours everyday. 8 to 11 AM. No matter what. I’ll be available in my office for the public for two hours everyday. Between 3 to 5 PM. Snow, no snow. Rain, no rain. Sun, no sun. Please take note.
I’ll always be accessible to Jammu.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 14, 2018
Rath is not favourable to his seniors and police officials who violate the traffic rules without wearing helmets.
My Dear Senior who thinks I’m all gas on FaceBook and Twitter and no guts. Please ask your PSOs to drive their bikes without wearing helmets. I’ll ruin their day. And yours. I don’t think I love you.
On Valentine’s Day he has a message for the Twitter users who do not celebrate love because they do not have love partner.
My Dear Senior who thinks I’m all gas on FaceBook and Twitter and no guts. Please ask your PSOs to drive their bikes without wearing helmets. I’ll ruin their day. And yours. I don’t think I love you.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 14, 2018
He warned the cops and officials of facing consequences if they don’t wear helmets.
Dear Cop, please don’t make a mockery of my presence in Jammu. Please show me some respect and wear a helmet. I’ll ruin your day if you don’t mend your ways. Don’t you love your family members? Let Death wait. I love you. pic.twitter.com/Nt9EGrkPLr
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 12, 2018
He urges people not to send any funny or useless messages on his Whatsapp number that he has shared on Twitter.
Friends, my Whatsapp number is 9419018689. One useless message, you are blocked. No good morning GIFs please. And no calls. Or else, it’ll be your loss. Not mine. I love you.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 12, 2018
Rath urged the car owners to remove the tinted glass as part of directive by the Supreme Court of India.
Dear Car Owner, please remove your tinted glass. I’ll try to love you more than I do at the moment. I thank your English teachers. Much love. pic.twitter.com/jFFQV94uK9
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 12, 2018
Soon after his joining as the IGP, he appealed to people of J&K not to violate the traffic rules. He made it clear that he will ruin the lives of bikers who ride their vehicles like aircrafts.
Dear Jammu, please don’t give me a death sentence for petty mistakes. I’m human. And I have a right to impose my convictions on the streets. And, please remember, your streets are sacred to me. As sacred as those of Srinagar. If not less. Thank you.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 12, 2018
Good morning, Srinagar. I’ll come to you this week. I plan to target the cops who think traffic rules are not meant for them. If they don’t wear helmets, if they don’t respect traffic lights, if they think their bikes are aircrafts, I’ll make things unbearably difficult for them.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 11, 2018
Interestingly, Rath’s patriotism and his love for Odia language is best noticed on the office orders that carry his signature in his regional language Odia.
Dear Officer, please be my guest. pic.twitter.com/ZCzLGmdKY8
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 12, 2018
Friends, I’ll always be accessible. pic.twitter.com/wkyWZZlbmo
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 14, 2018
Recently, Rath seized a car of an Army official, who happens to be the son and son-in-law of two senior IPS officers in J&K. Both Rath and Army official filed FIRs against each other at police station.
He is no more star for the tainted politicians and officials for his strict actions. In a video Congress MLA Usman Majeed alleged that Rath was acting like a goon. He also raised questions over the IPS officer’s posts on Facebook that he termed as ‘indecent’ and ‘insensitive’.
In one of his messages on Facebook, Rath had compared helmets with condoms urging people to use both for protection of life.
Rath found himself in a controversy by allegedly abusing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s media analyst Javed Trali.
Taking to Twitter Rath wrote:
Dear Junaid Azim Mattu and Javaid Trali. My name is Basant. I dont play T20 cricket. I don’t play ODI cricket. I don’t play Test cricket. I play a cricketing career. And my favourite cricketer is Javed Miandad. Not a single inch given. Not a single inch asked for.
— Basant Rath (@KangriCarrier) February 17, 2018
Rath was elevated to IGP rank in Traffic following the approval of J&K government despite Centre had called for action against him for alleged violation of the service conduct rules.
The MHA in a letter dated August 29, 2017 asked the J&K government to take disciplinary action against Basant Rath for violating All India Service Rules following the report of a discreet probe conducted by Intelligence Bureau (IB) on account of his objectionable columns and articles published in “The Wire” and “The Indian Express”.
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