An ex-Delhi Police ACP has shared two lessons from a recent trip to Germany, one from an unexpected encounter with the police and another from what he observed on the streets. Rajindar Pathania said the experiences left him reflecting on policing, civic responsibility and what India could learn.
In a post on X, Pathania recalled a bus carrying Indian travellers being stopped by German police. What happened next made him look at the police uniform in a different way.
The caption read, “During our tour of Germany, one day our entire bus was surrounded by German police. All the passengers on the bus were Indian travellers. The police took us to the station. One by one, each traveller was made to get off the bus. Passports and visas were checked, and luggage was searched.
“Seeing this police action on foreign soil naturally stirred a bit of anxiety in my mind. But then I witnessed a scene that I probably will never forget.
“The German police officers lifted our luggage with their own hands. They carried it to the baggage scanner. They inspected each item one by one. After the inspection was complete, they themselves lifted the same luggage and placed it back in the bus.
(Also Read: ‘My 7-year-old thinks ChatGPT knows everything’: Gurugram man shares what AI can’t teach)
{{/usCountry}}(Also Read: ‘My 7-year-old thinks ChatGPT knows everything’: Gurugram man shares what AI can’t teach)
{{/usCountry}}“I stood there watching them for a few moments. Even after more than 38 years in police service, that day I got the opportunity to view the uniform from a different perspective.
“There was strictness of the law, there was scrutiny, there was discipline. But along with it, there was respect, sensitivity and a spirit of service.
“That’s when a thought crossed my mind: the true dignity of the uniform lies not just in authority, but in exercising that authority with humanity.”
Cleanliness and civic responsibility in Germany
Pathania said the second experience that stayed with him was the cleanliness he noticed in Germany. He described seeing clean roads and public places with little litter around.
He wrote, “I’m also sharing one or two short videos along with this. Watching them, I started thinking to myself: what, after all, is the secret behind this cleanliness? Does the government there maintain cleanliness more than ours?
“Perhaps the system plays its part, but I saw the real difference in the mindset and responsibility of the citizens. In India, we often question the government: ‘Why isn’t there cleanliness?’ But sometimes, we need to hold up a mirror to ourselves as well.
“Who throws trash on the road? Who dirties the walls? Who keeps public spaces clean, treating them like their own home?”
He added that while governments can provide systems, deploy employees and run cleanliness campaigns, the habit of keeping public spaces clean also depends on citizens.
Pathania said these two experiences reminded him of the responsibilities of both a police officer and a citizen. He concluded, “It’s easy to go abroad, just admire the beauty there and return. But if we bring back a good lesson from there to our own country, then perhaps that journey is truly meaningful.”
Watch the full clip below:
How did social media react?
One person wrote, “Our daughter has lived there for a decade. It’s all about population.”
Another commented, “It gave a chance for introspection, isn’t it? Both the scenes, public as well as a public servant.”
A user suggested that such values should be taught early, writing, “So the next question is: how do we build mindsets? We must teach it in schools and make it more important than earning marks. We should also teach children to be kind and helpful.”
Another commenter offered a different perspective: “They have a far better mechanism for cleanliness. Offenders are there too.”
(Also Read: Bittu Tabahi who single-handedly cleaned trash-filled river gets job offer from Dutch CEO: ‘Come work for us’)
One user also cautioned against drawing wider conclusions from a single experience, writing, “Respectfully, one incident should not become a benchmark for an entire police system. Service is humility, but justice, accountability and integrity are the true weight of the uniform.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)