Anyone who passes through Chackarackal village in Kannur district on an evening would see a number of men, both young and middle-aged, playing on the multiple badminton courts here.
This isn’t some well-hidden sports academy, but something more heartwarming, a positive initiative taken by the Chackarackal police for the good of the community.
It all began a few years ago when Sub Inspector P Biju and few other officers saw some youngsters drinking in a small club. Biju locked up the club and took the keys with him. To all the people present there, he said that the keys would be returned only after they found a good playground and set up a badminton court.
“I told them they should spend their evenings in playgrounds, not drinking in clubs. I had no hope that they would that. But to my surprise, within a week they came to the station and asked me to inaugurate a shuttle court,” the police officer says.
He inaugurated the court and gave them back the keys to the club.
“It was then that I realised that a small step from our side is enough to show them the right path. The duty of the police is not just to guard law and order, but also to take steps that prevent crime and show the right path to the public,” he says.
Within a year, inspired by this success story, many such badminton courts have come up. Almost all of them were inaugurated by Biju. “Now they have started conducting badminton tournaments,” he smiles.
This isn’t the only change brought about by the Sub Inspector in the area. He also set up a small library in the station exclusively for persons who get arrested by him.
“I intentionally included books written in very simple language like “Aadujeevitham” by Benyamin, Vaikom Muhammed Basheer’s stories, etc, so that everyone can read and understand them very easily,” he says.
Those who are let out on bail have a task assigned to them by the officer. “When they go out on bail, they should take a book and within a week they should write a review of it and submit to me,” he explains.
He has also made it a rule that people in lock-up should also read, and makes it a point to ask them to narrate the stories and review the books they read.
“In the last two years, there have been many cases where people got interested in books, and came back to ask for more. That is my biggest reward, because I could bring change to someone’s life,” he says.
“I know that it may not work out for all, but if I could change at least one person, then that is great,” he adds.