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Harvard Teacher Trains Policemen in Kashmir to Upgrade Soft Skills

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Jan 23: Police in Indian administered Kashmir has sought the assistance of a Harvard University teacher to upgrade professional ethics, soft skills and responsiveness of its personnel.

A police spokesman said in an effort to upgrade the professional ethics, soft skills and responsiveness of its personnel, police organized a 5-day Training of Trainers Workshop on Professional Ethics, Soft Skills and Service Mindset.

"The training of trainers was conducted by Jim Tull, who has taught executive education at Harvard University and delivers training programs across the globe. The purpose of the training was to introduce soft skills such as negotiation and communication, listening skills, ethics and professional conduct based on a public service mindset. The training also covered ethics in policing and applying soft skills in the context of community-based policing," he said.

Police chief of Kashmir S. M. Sahai said the initiative taken by Kashmir police to train the soft skills of the officers at the at the cutting edge level of the police force will be a permanent feature. "The policemen are the servants of the people and they have to serve the people with a smiling face," he said and hoped that the training and the lessons taken will trickle down to the police station levels so that the communication skills are improved of the police men who are in direct contact with general public.

About 50 officers from all districts of Kashmir attended the five day program. These officers have been trained as trainers. These trainers will conduct similar training sessions in all districts of Kashmir Zone.

"This training effort is meant to improve the professional ethics and conduct of police officers as they carry out their day-to-day duties. This initiative will seek to help build a more empathetic and people-friendly police. Each officer trained will focus on improving their soft skills and taking a more empathetic approach towards community," a police spokesman said.

It is pertinent to mention here that police and paramilitary soldiers had face grave criticism for using excessive force during 2010 unrest in Kashmir. Over 120 persons, mostly youth died in police and paramilitary soldiers firing during five months of summer unrest in the region.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.