No police complaint in 100 years: Is this India's most peaceful village?

by Manoj Kumar No police or court case in living memory. This must be a story from some alien land populated by people genetically engineered to avoid trouble. Or, this could be a story born out of sheer creative imagination. But no, it comes from Bihar, the state not long ago known for crimes, lawlessness and burgeoning court cases. And it’s true. Welcome to Padia, the south Bihar village which has had no court or police case for, what the villagers maintain, for a hundred years. There’s no way to verify the claim but elderly residents of the village proudly claim they do not recall anybody having filed any case with the police or the court in as many years. The village jury has been strong and efficient enough settle the dispute at the local level itself, they claim. [caption id=“attachment_362157” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] Padia must be an isle of bliss in a state with more than 1.6 million cases in different courts, several of them over two decades old. Of the total pending cases, around 1.5 million cases are pending in lower courts whereas over 130,000 cases are awaiting their disposal in the Patna High Court. It is not that disputes don’t flare up in the village. Disputes indeed occur at intervals but whenever situation arises, a village court consisting of elderly people is quickly convened to settle the matter, say the villagers. The court refrains from imposing monetary fine on the “culprits” but asks them to apologise to their victims. In the worst case they are asked to do sit-ups in full public view. The idea of quick settlement, the villagers say, has been tremendously successful. No policeman has ever visited the village in connection with a criminal case, they add with pride. The village comprises around 150 houses and has a mixed population of different castes. “We take maximum care to ensure every dispute is settled in a cordial matter and it never reaches the police,” said Mundrika Prasad Chaurasia, the village sarpanch. “This has not only ensured peace in the village but also saved both time and money,” the sexagenarian added. ``Why must we involve the police in our matters when we are capable enough to decide what is right and wrong?” asked another villager. When contacted, a senior police official said it was difficult to confirm the villagers’ claim but “the way the villagers have promoted peace at the village is indeed praiseworthy and we salute their initiate.”