Reviving the past: IPS Ashutosh Bagri uses Kotwars for village-level policing in Burhanpur

Burhanpur Police is reviving the village-level source of information by bringing Gram Kotwars back into a more active role. Kotwars are being trained to help the police with local intelligence, crime prevention and maintaining law and order.Leading this initiative is SP Ashutosh Bagri, a 2015 Batch IPS officer.

Kotwars traditionally served as a link between villages and the police and administration. However, over the years, their role in village-level policing and intelligence gathering had weakened. To address this, a seven-day special training programme for Gram Kotwars was started. They are equipped with full Khaki uniforms and trained in drill commands, saluting protocols, marching, morning PT/yoga and the proper maintenance of lanyards, belts, badges, boots to boost both their physical fitness and administrative dignity in villages.“We are trying to revive their role by giving them training so that village-level policing, intelligence collection, law and order and crime prevention can be strengthened ” Bagri said.

More importantly, they are being taught how to collect useful information from villages and communicate it to the police. Beyond basic reporting, they are also being trained in gathering human intelligence. Kotwars are traditionally compensated through Seva Bhumi or given an honorarium.

This model becomes particularly significant for Burhanpur, a communally sensitive district where major festivals such as Ganesh Utsav, Muharram and Eid require close monitoring. Kotwars have been trained to assess developments before processions, identify possible local disputes and alert police before a situation escalates “During the British era and even after Independence, Kotwars were quite effective at the village level for both the police and administration.”

By using existing manpower without requiring an additional budget, the programme is building an active grassroots intelligence network while also creating a cost-effective semi security unit that can act as a force multiplier during key law and order situations.