By Nurul Islam Laskar, MMN,
Guwahati, 29 Nov 2014 : All the Directors General of Police from all Indian states and heads of intelligence services have arrived in Guwahati for the annual national meet that is taking place in the city on Saturday and Sunday. This is for the first time that this meet is taking place outside Delhi and hence it assumes great significance. But what is ironical is that nowhere there is a mention of the name of Imdad Ali, who was IG of Assam Police in 1962 when the Chinese had invaded India and under whose leadership the police had rendered excellent service in maintaining the law and order in the state in the face of foreign aggression.
Imdad Ali became the Inspector General of Police, Assam in 1962, the crucial year when India had faced an aggression from China. Imdad Ali (born 1913) was the second son of Aimana Khatun and Khanbahadur Keramat Ali of Balibat area of Jorhat. He did his primary education in Jorhat Moktab School and thereafter passed his Matriculation with good marks from Jorhat Government High School in 1932. After acquiring a Bachelors Degree in Arts from Presidency College, Calcutta in 1936, he got selected as an officer in Imperial Police Service in 1937. He is believed to be the first and last Assamese to be inducted in Imperial Police Service.
The Second World War was knocking at the door and the frontier areas were in a volatile state. The Government needed able hands to tackle the situation in those areas. Within seven months of his joining the police service, Ali was deputed to Sadiya as an Assistant Political Officer and was promoted to the post of Political Officer within a short time. During this period, he supervised the evacuation of Indian refugees from Burma who returned home on account of the War. During the years 1942-45, he was also actively associated with works pertaining to the construction of the famous Stillwell Road.
During 1946-47, at the time of division of assets and personnel between the two nations, Pakistan had incorporated Ali’s name in their list of Police Officers without consulting him. Assam Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi had to exert his weight to ensure that this did not happen. Bordoloi had immense faith in Ali’s loyalty and integrity and the latter lived to the expectations of the former.
In 1947, the year of India’s independence, Ali was appointed the Commissioner of Naga Hills with the honour of being the first Indian to hold this post. In 1949, he reverted to his parent department, the Assam Police, and was elevated to the post of IGP Assam in 1962. In those days, IGP was the senior most position in the State Police and post of DGP was unknown. Assam was undivided, stretching from Naga Hills to Lushai Hills on one plain, and from Sadiya to the Khasi and Garo Hills on the other.
In 1964, he was deputed to the Home Ministry in Delhi and thereafter posted as the IGP of Gujarat in 1965. Once again, he became the first Assamese Police Officer to hold charge of IGP in any state outside Assam. During the first year of his posting in Gujarat, the Indo-Pak War of 1965 took place. The Pakistani forces were planning for a mass infiltration bid in the Rann of Kutch region of Gujarat. On account of his experience of border management in the North East, Ali was able to gather advance information of this bid by Pakistan and thwarted it successfully. He was decorated for his superb performance.
Furthermore, during his four and a half years’ tenure in Gujarat, the State remained free from any communal strife. This speaks for his able handling of law and order in the State. In his own words, “The best way to control a communal riot is not to allow it to happen in the first place. There is no use fighting a communal riot after it has occurred.”
In 1969, he returned to Delhi and was asked to take over as the first ever Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In those days, the police and intelligence services all together had four DGs, once each for RAW, CBI, BSF and last to list, CRPF. On taking over charge he got busy giving a pan-Indian look to the CRPF and at his initiative a central complex of the Force was established in Jharoda Kalan, New Delhi and steps initiated for establishing 12 new Group Centres of CRPF across the country. It is only due to his personal interest and initiative, one Group Centre was established at Amerigog, on the outskirts of Assam State Capital, Guwahati.
He brought in revolutionary changes in the functioning of CRPF and put in operation vehicles that could travel long distances at high speed thereby enabling the force to reach their place of deployment without much loss of time. Ali played a pivotal role from Delhi in controlling the Naxalite menace that had engulfed West Bengal during this period.
After his retirement from service, Ali wanted to return to Assam but his close friends and fellow officers asked him to stay back in Delhi as they had information about a new assignment for him was in the offing. Ali was appointed Indian Ambassador to Yemen, becoming the first Assamese and the first Indian Police Officer to become India’s Ambassador to a foreign country.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a special liking for Imdad Ali for his proven track record as an honest and efficient administrator and police officer. In the seventies, Yemen was considered as the ‘Window to the Gulf Region’ where USA, USSR, and other super powers were trying to get a foothold. India needed an official who could take care of India’s interest there and keep the government home abreast of all developments. Ali fitted the bill to the full.
On his return from Yemen, Ali was given two assignments in Assam in 1979, first to head a Jails Reforms Commission and then the police Services Reforms Commission. During this period, he was also made a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He was honoured with the President’s Police Medal as well as Fire Services Medal for his meritorious service. He was the first police officer to be made an Aide de Camp (ADC) to the President of India.
In his youth, Ali was a popular actor and sportsperson. He was married to Sayeeda, daughter of Sir Md Saadulla, who was the Prime Minister of Assam for five years during 1937-45. Of Imdad Ali’s two sons, Abu Ali is a banker in United Kingdom and Ifzal Ali served as the Chief Economist at Asian Development Bank, Manila (1984-2008). Ifzal happens to be the first Assamese and youngest faculty to teach at IIM Ahmedabad (1977-84).
Imdad Ali died in 1994 while residing with his second son Ifzal in Manila. After his death, his family members and well wishers set up the ‘Imdad Ali Memorial Trust’ in Jorhat for the spread of education in his home district. Ever since then, the Trust has been offering scholarships to meritorious and needy students of the area.
In fitness of things, the Govt of Assam could consider consecrating the Police Training College in Dergaon after the name of the super cop of Assam, Imdad Ali. Alternatively, the Govt of India could name the North East Police Academy in Meghalaya as Imdad Ali Police Academy. Whether the govt does it or not, no one can deny that it will take ages for the region to have another officer with the calibre and mettle of Imdad Ali. His life and achievements would continue to motivate the future generations.
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feedback: nurul.laskar@gmail.com
Feeling proud. Its really an inspiring story about this great son of Assam for all particularly the younger generations. At the same time equally surprised that perhaps very few people only know about him. Its a good suggestion if the govt. can honour him by naming the Police Training College after him.
Good idea. We should pursue it and making it happen . This can be accomplished through MLA and MP’s help. MP badruddin ajmal should be requested to help.
An incredible personality of Assam. We are proud of him.
Thank you so much , mr.Laskar.It was delightful to know that late Imdad Ali was also an Ambassador to Yemen.Remember meeting him in the late eighties with his nephew , late shafikul Hussain Chowdhury on more occasions than one – what I remember about this great son of Assam is his humility. I will carry this with me on this journey.
My dads boss. He loved honesty. Have a letter written to my dad complimenting him. They don’t make officers like him anymore.