By Rabi Raj Thapa The problem and dilemma with the governments and people of South Asia is the magical thinking they cherish about the role and performance of their police organizations. The Court-verdict and so-called vacate petition by the Ministry of Home Affairs is nothing but a mockery of how precariously police organizations are serving and surviving in Nepal. Any police organization, once disturbed by any oversight bodies does adversely affect the morale and confidence of any law enforcement personnel. Take Bangladesh for example. Bangladesh police, when weaponized by the autocratic Awami League government has lost all credit and trust of the Bangladesh people now.  When the people's uprising in Bangladesh toppled the 15-year-long rule of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of the Awami League, she fled the country leaving police organizations in total jeopardy. Not only had the police, but the chief justice of the Supreme Court and vice-chancellor had to resign. Many high-ranking police officers also had to resign or quit from their posts. For example, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, an additional inspector general of the Tourist Police in Khulna-Barisal resigned stating (actually confessing) that ‘over the past 10 years, he was compelled to carry out illegal orders from ministers linked to the  Awami League (AL) government’. He also mentioned that those orders used to be ‘brutal and barbaric,’ designed to protect ‘an unlawful regime’ and extend the power and financial gains of certain high-ranking officials. But when the jubilant crowds stormed Dhaka’s streets to celebrate their victory over Sheikh Hasina’s autocratic rule, situations got out of control and turned into widespread riots and violence to near the collapse of Bangladesh police agencies. Some Bangladeshi witnessed communal and Hate-Crime by lynching and brutal killing of Bangladeshi Hindu minority that raised uproar, wrath and global condemnation from all over the world. When the Bangladesh security forces killed around 400 and wounded tens of thousands of students and ordinary people, the Bangladesh Police crack-down earned bad names like “the executioners”. Compared to that, there were no fatalities during the people’s protests and riots that ended up once the referendum was announced by King Birendra in 1980. During 45 days of people’s protest in 1990, less than 50 people lost their lives including police firing and other types of accidents and incidents as well. Surprisingly, King Gynendra renounced his power and throne when there were less than two dozen agitators killed in police firing during the 19 days of the second people’s movement in April 2006. It shows that the Nepali police organizations are not as bad and brutal as people try to portray in Nepal. Only the problem with the police and law enforcement agencies of Nepal is the overbearing interference and high-handedness of government oversight bodies whether it is the judiciary or the executive. Since the political change of 1990, Nepal has witnessed police organizations being highly appreciated during earthquakes, plane crashes, road accidents, floods and other types of natural disasters. But when the police are forced to oblige the overbearing attitudes of its oversight bodies and political masters, it has always been discredited with backlashes and condemnation from the people they serve. The recent imbroglio of 30-32 years of service tenure has proven to be a Frankenstein created by selfish high-ranking police officers both in Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force, Nepal. It does not serve any good purpose for the country and the police personnel who have joined the police to serve as long as their body and mind permit. Whatever or whoever may decide the tenure of the police personnel in Nepal, it should not impact the “Chain of Command & Control” and everybody needs to remember that the “Chain of Command & Control” is the heart and soul of any armed and uniformed organizations like Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force. The Ministry of Home Affairs as an Oversight Body should have taken care of the issue long time back before the case got dragged to the Court of Justice.   The writer is the retired AIG of the Armed Police Force-Editor.