When I started the blog, I didn’t know how to go about it or whether anyone will bother to read it. Tentatively, I put out a post on Cricket but didn’t circulate the link. Around the third or fourth post, very hesitatingly, I sent the link to a small WhatsApp group, my M. Phil. batchmates. The results were overwhelming. The first day itself garnered 200 page views and one of the batchmates posted that she liked the very first one (about Cricket) the best. Even so, diffidence augmented hesitation and I just kept posting, hoping that no one, not even me, can produce 52 rank bad blogs (yes, my outer limit was carrying on for a year of weekly posts).
One particular post about Police corruption went viral (by my low standards!) – in fact, I got scared when some readers started tagging PMO and HMO in their tweet feeds. The other turning point was when one of the posts (about Purulia arms drop case) was appreciated by my senior colleagues whom I’ve always looked up to.
Sometime
back, the blog crossed 10,000 page views, even though I’m still short of the
original target of 52 posts. In the context of money, people say making the
first million is hard and the other millions follow. I guess, in terms of
blogs, the first 10,000 page views is a bit of a landmark and I hope to cross a million someday. A
collection of the blog posts has now seen the light of print in the form of a
book, Police in Blunderland.
The
heat map of the readership includes 20 countries and another 218 page views
under “others.” The listed countries include USA at second place, UAE (for some
reason) third, UK, Singapore, Australia, Sudan, New Zealand, Hong Kong and even
some South American countries.
Here
are some of the encouraging feedback about the blog and the book – Haven’t
taken their permission to publish but, I hope, they won’t mind:
“Lovely
blog. Reminded me of my days across Hindu. The 2 colleges across each other had
only one thing in common, and that was the great Jai Singh dhaba. I'm in full
agreement that Jai Singh's bun omis and chai had nurtured countless civil
servants from DU. Hoping to read part 2 of the blog.”
“I
had almost forgotten this case, one such sensational case amongst many cases
with wider, international ramifications handled esp during my tenure as
Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru … Let's wait for the mystery to be solved”
“Congratulations
Bibhuti. An excellent blog. One of the best that I have read written by a
policeman. I am looking forward to reading your other blogs.”
“After
several weeks I opened the posts of our friends and tried to pick up the
thread. I am happy to go through your
extremely readable blog. Your penmanship is rather uncommon. Please complete
the story and be on the lookout for new stories. It gave a new dimension to
police investigation. We are accustomed to chase dacoits/ Naxalites across
villages, districts, states; but the very prospect of chasing them across the
sub-continent and continents will make old officers like me rather diffident. I
have read your write up with delight for its language and with professional
pride for achievement.”
“Dash
uses a 'tongue in cheek' narrative style of personal experiences in the IPS
which makes the blog highly readable.”
“He
is back from the Valley of the Forgotten Dead
Where
he had gone on a sabbatical from being "annoyed"
(As
the Rt Hon'ble ROI had once said)
A
protracted time off we fans did but dread
To
regale us once again with his words so well expressed
In
a delirium of joy are we, the blessed.”
“As
always, your blogs never fail to surprise. This one was an exceptional one and
as I read it, I suddenly realised I was sitting on the edge of my seat! This
particular episode has all the ingredients for a great film on Netflix …”
“Coming
from a retired IPS is so breath taking, though we know or face most of these as
commoners, however, hardly can do anything to change the system. I had filed a
case against a constable and when the officers from Lalbazar visited my home to
congratulate me for my courage and praise my parents for raising such a
fearless kid, I was immediately forced by my family to withdraw the case for my
safety ... One of the reasons why I could ultimately get the permission to move
to Bangalore.”
“Very
beautiful piece, Dash sahab! It unfolds like a classic scene from a Satyajit Ray
film. The Socio-economic conditions of real India--with all its iniquities and
contradictions could not have been more graphically described! It evokes both
hope and despair! Hope, that in the dark and almost lost India, far from the
Metros, individual beacons of light can be found working selflessly in the form
of "Kalpataru Sir"! And despair, in that, promise and talent which
"Hari" signified can be so brutally discouraged by the cruel and
unjust social system!”
“This book is a collection of blog posts and articles written by celebrated IPS officer B.B. Dash. Among other posts, Shri Dash headed the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security and retired as Director General of Police. Though most of the articles relate to police and policing, there are a few articles about college life (Sh Dash attended Hindu College and IIM Banglore), his corporate career, and his two UN deputations. His writing is entertaining as well as informative. There are many hilarious takes on policing and life. There is not one dull page in the whole book.”
The one response which made the journey truly worth it:
”Sir, I am a pass-out of ... PGP batch. I recently lost my wife to a massive cardiac arrest. As I struggle to cope with this loss with my 8-year-old daughter, I seem to miss happiness in life. Your article, well written as it is, brought back childhood memories and a very rare smile today. Wanted to say thanks🙏🏻”
To all, all thanks. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
👏 this one from Singapore 🤗
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