Mangalore: Country can Improve Only if Police Get Better Facilities - Colaco
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (NM)
Mangalore, Jul 3: In a laudable gesture, Nigel Colaco, son of NRI entrepreneur Ronald Colaco, extended financial support worth Rs 11 lac to meritorious children of policemen at a programme held at Town Hall here on Monday July 2.
Nigel gave away cheques of Rs 25,000 each to 43 students, the entire amount being from his own savings.
Inaugurating the programme, Ronald Colaco said that he had visited several foreign countries and was impressed by their discipline, standard of living, civic sense and traffic sense. "I realized that it was all because of the efficiency of their police, who had enforced the law so well. But when I came to India I saw the difference, and came to know that it was because in India police are given less facilities, and when it comes to budget, they are the last to get any grants. That was one reason, and the other one was people themselves who have polluted the environment," he said.
"In order to bring India on par with other countries, police have to be paid well and provided good facilities. But the government is not doing it. If the government had provided them with all modern facilities and good salary, 50 percent of our country's problems would have solved. The government could have then concentrated on development works rather than being troubled by strikes and protests every day," he said, urging poilcemen present on the occasion to be more efficient.
Speaking further on the plight of policemen, he said that he once had to go to a police station in Bangalore to get a letter for a German friend. "I saw 20-30 policemen in the station, and only three or four chairs...it seemed like they were playing musical chairs! The room was also dark, and I realized why they lose patience when people come with their complaints. If they had even basic facilities, spacious and well-lit stations, they would be welcoming and friendly. A good work environment is highly essential in enhancing efficiency in any profession. Hence i decided to build an ultra modern police station and donate it to the capital," he said.
On Nigel’s gesture he said his son first got the idea when he discussed about the ultra modern police stations he had built in Bangalore, in Frazer Town to start with. “In Bangalore I had built an ultra-modern police station and this gesture of mine inspired other MNC’s and IT companies to come forward with a similar gesture. As a result a total of 49 ultra modern police stations have come up in different parts of Bangalore.
Though Colaco had requested MNC’s and Builders’ Association in Mangalore to show a similar gesture of providing scholarships to children of policemen, he said no one has responded positively. “When I shared my disappointment with my son Nigel, he volunteered to contribute something for the children of the policemen from whatever little savings he has. I am happy that he has set a rare example of giving back something to the society in such an early stage of life”, Colaco said.
This year Nigel donated a total of 16.25 lac out of which scholarships worth 10.75 lakh were given to 43 meritorious students. As many as 900 waterproof school bags (with books and school-related accessories) were given away to primary and high school children and of the total Rs 2 lac was donated for the theatrical show “Jailininda Jailige Rangothsava”. Last year Colaco had donated scholarships worth Rs 12 lac to the children of the policemen.
Colaco once again called upon organizations and institutions to give back to the society in whatever little way they can. While regretting the lack of response from others to follow a similar gesture Colaco said, “If no individual or organization comes forward and continues this gesture even next year I will have no other option but to continue so that needy children of policemen get motivated to study well and come up in life”.
Colaco said that the idea of instituting scholarships to the children of policemen was intended to encourage the children of policemen so that these children strive hard and come up in life. If the children of these policemen become studious and excel in their studies policemen are able concentrate better in the responsibilities given to them, which in turn would benefit the society at large, he pointed out.
The 43 children were shortlisted for the scholarship by the police commissioner who had invited applications from children of policemen different police stations of the district who had scored 80% above in SSLC and PUC. All the data was fed in the computer and 43 students who had secured highest marks were selected for the scholarship.
In his address, Nigel said that he was happy to keep aside a part of his day-to-day earnings for such a noble cause. He advised the children to read books and gain more knowledge, as it would help them in their lives. "Do not give up the gift of eudcation as you will not get it again," he said to the students.
IGP (western range) Pratap Reddy also spoke and thanked the Colacos for their generous support and concern. He also urged Ronald Colaco to support the children of jail inmates too.
Police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh expressed his happiness over Colaco's gesture and said that every Christmas and New Year, Colaco comes to celebrate with the policemen. He also thanked Hoolugappa Kattimani, director of Sankalpa, Mysore for training jail inmates on theatre and giving them a platform to display their talents.
After the formal ceremony, the second part of the day's programme began, wherein inmates of Mysore central jail staged William Shakespeare's classic play 'King Lear' in Kannada. The play was beautifully presented, and moved the audience.
The play was part of the four-day 'By the Prisoners, for the Prisoners' state-level theatrical show for undertrails in central jails. On Tuesday July 3, inmates of Bangalore central prison will stage 'Kattale Daari Doora', followed by 'Shivaratri by Belagavi central jail the next day and 'Gokakarnada Gowda Shani' by Dharwad jail undertrials on the concluding day.
Earlier, Hoolugappa Kattimani who directed and prepared the Mysore jail prisoners to enact 'King Lear' said that he chose to train undertrials in theatre so as to bring about a transformation in them through the medium of theatre. "Theatre is a meaningful channel to heal them mentally," he said.
Police officials and their families and many others were present on the occasion.