Somesh Singh: Cutting the uniform according to the cop

Ahmedabad, March 14: Wait for Narendra Modi’s maligned police to come out of every scrap smelling of roses.

Or jasmines. Even fresh lemons.

Gujarat police, looking for an image overhaul, have knocked on the doors of the National Institute of Design. And the Ahmedabad institute has promised to help the force change from its dated, dull uniform into a new, chic outfit.

The new uniform will have various in-built features, including perfumes “embedded in the cotton” that even 35 to 40 washings won’t erase, said Somesh Singh, head of the NID’s apparel design.

He believes the fragrant freshness will make the force more approachable in a country where citizens are often too afraid to go to police stations to lodge complaints, and bystanders walk away from accident scenes for fear of police harassment.

“The policemen will look so friendly and fashionable that people would instinctively want to go up to them and talk,” claimed the 31-year-old Singh.

Mehak Ahuja, whose name means “fragrance”, may not agree after being arrested and sent to jail for raising a mistaken terror alarm aboard a plane. But Singh had his own take on why people avoided the police.

“Today, most policemen look hassled and drenched in sweat when they return from a crime scene or are controlling traffic. But if they smell good and fresh and look smart, you might feel like approaching them,” said Singh, who has also designed a “paunch-proof” shirt that partially conceals the wearer’s tummy.

The designer didn’t think that glowing in the dark and in rain — another feature of the uniform — might make police a bit sinister. “It will help people spot them easily.”

The idea was born three months ago when a senior police officer, having learnt that the NID was designing high-altitude clothes for soldiers, came down to ask if it had any suggestions for the police, too.

Singh, who was a student of National Institute of Fashion Technology, Gandhinagar, before joining the NID faculty, jumped at the chance.

His assistants went round police stations and traffic junctions to be told that the weight of the uniform, belt and the cap was a problem.

The new outfit will be made of lighter fabric that will allow enough air circulation, will use nanotechnology to protect the wearer against dust and sunburn, and will have multiple pockets for gadgets and tools. The prototype is expected to be ready in six to eight weeks.

“We have requested the NID to design new uniforms,” state home minister Amit Shah said. “But many aspects are to be looked at; we haven’t yet finalised anything.”

The move comes at a time when efforts are on for an overhaul of India’s 146-year-old, Raj-created policing system that goes far beyond cosmetic changes. A bill is being drafted that promises to free the police from political control, make them more accountable to the citizen, and improve sleuthing standards.

Will the luminous clothing not warn criminals from a mile off? And shall we now see criminals on the scent of the police, instead of the other way round? The police have no time to think of negatives. “The men are excited about the new uniform,” a source said.