Public service in his blood

He is from one of those rare families that have civil services in their blood. His father was a civil servant, and his brother too is IAS. Kamal Nayan Choubey, though, is IPS, who has become the DG of Jharkhand. Since the state is a sensitive one, with its own crime dynamics, he has a tough task on hand. However, he possibly enjoys the biggest advantage too. He is an expert in border operations, both India-Bangladesh and India-Pakistan. He understands infiltration, militancy, winning the hearts and minds of the local people, and dealing with externally-aided violence. Hence, he may be in a better position to deal with Red Terror and the Maoist insurgency. More importantly, his personal bent of mind is not just policing; he also brings in an intellectual touch. He is a thinking policeman, not an active or reactive one. And these are qualities that are required to deal with militants and insurgents. Not too many people know that he was a professor of history in Delhi University, before he joined the civil services. He is known as a dynamic officer, who was close to several chief ministers because of his honesty and forthrightness. Clearly, he is in the right position to deliver the goods, given his background and experiences. As Maoism raises its ugly head in Jharkhand, he may be the right person at the right place at the right time. But he needs to be aware that the problems of violence in Jharkhand are also related to several groups jostling for control over revenue territory.