“Tough” is the image the cops cherish of themselves, and that preference has no gender-bias. Even the women in the force would prefer wielding muscle than employing feminine wiles. Or so suggests some of the feedback received from a “smart and fit” seminar the Central District of the Delhi Police conducted for its women personnel last month.

Over 100 women participated in a daylong programme organised in collaboration with a reputed wellness and beauty institute, but after going through sessions on how to apply eyeliner, light blushes, skin-care and the art of wearing their hair “in a perfect bun”, many of the cops said it had been an exercise in futility. “Our duty does not demand us to dress like beautiful dolls. We need to be dressed in crisp uniforms and work day-in and day-out,” asserted one of the trainees.

Nor were they impressed by slide shows on diet patterns and how to match make-up with uniforms, another officer said she would have preferred a focus on professional education to sessions on beauty seminars and fitness-centres. Personal hygiene should have got more attention, opined a third participant. The consensus was that upgraded washrooms at police stations etc were a critical first step, more sensitivity could also be shown when allotting night duties.

One officer with field experience said the “awareness programmes centred around the development of communication skills, personality growth and general knowledge” would serve a more useful purpose.” A senior officer thought differently, “this seminar was held to make female officers more self-confident since they have to deal with the public…”

The core issue boils down to what the cops expect of themselves. The men cannot project a macho image, and expect the women to be tender and graceful ~ lest the latter be seen as soft “pushovers”. There is a strong internal dimension too, women have to prove themselves on repeated occasions ~ to their superiors. It must not be forgotten that the country’s first IPS officer won recognition only when the newspapers published pictures of her standing firm in front of sword-wielding demonstrators, or having illegally-parked vehicles towed away.

“Good cops” are generally believed to be the no-nonsense types, and that applies across the board ~ scientific investigators never capture the public eye the way that encounter specialists do. Dress does make a difference too, until the SPG were issued lounge suits in winter and safari suits in summer it was not just a joke that a cop in plain clothes could always be spotted by the khaki socks he wore.

So maybe in addition to beauty seminars a completion among fashion designers could be held to come up with attractive uniforms (maybe the textiles minister could be drafted for the job), and visits to the beauty salon be offered as a reward. But only after the women officers are convinced that khaki can also be chic.