Watch: Lucknow police sirens blare out traditional watchman’s cry, ‘Jagte raho’
‘It will discourage criminals,’ promised a senior Uttar Pradesh official.
#WATCH Dial-100 Police Response Vehicle (PRV)'s siren plays tune of "Jagte Raho"(stay awake) in Lucknow. Abhay Mishra,Circle Officer,Hazratganj:The tune will be played in PRVs all night to alert the public, like watchmen used to do. It has started in Hazratganj as a pilot project pic.twitter.com/ibDwMxTryh
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) June 24, 2019
In its latest attempt to curb crime, the Uttar Pradesh police has decided to dispense with wailing sirens on its Dial-100 Police Response Vehicles and instead have them blare out the traditional watchman’s cry, “Jaagte raho” or stay awake.
The new warning will be tested in a pilot project in the state capital Lucknow’s Hazratganj area. “Its success will be monitored and applied elsewhere in future,” Hazratganj circle officer Abhay Mishra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Kalanidhi Naithani, Lucknow’s senior superintendent of police, was quoted by News18 as saying, “The main idea behind this pilot project is to assure people that police are always standing with them. It will discourage criminals.”
Mishra told News18, “Not just ‘Jagte Raho’, other recorded sounds related to safety of passengers at bus stands and other public areas are also in the pipeline.”
To some social media users, this decision recalled last year’s incident in Sambhal district, when assistant superintendent of police in pursuit of a criminal decided to mimic the sound of gunshots by shouting “thain thain” after his gun jammed.
After the success of 'Thaiyen Thaiyen' @Uppolice comes up with new security system 'jagte raho' pic.twitter.com/z7eR7y8fqE
— Saurabh Trivedi (@saurabh3vedi) June 25, 2019
Another Twitter user thought that the slogan was being inappropriately deployed.
I always thought in old times the guard use to shout 'Jagte Raho' to keep other guards on their toes , Alert. The cry was basically one gurad telling others I ain't sleeping here hope you aren't too. I never knew it was to keep general public awake.
— akhil (@achillesing) June 25, 2019
