FOP an instance of perception re-engineering

The FOP or Friends of People, Police, Press, Poor, Progress, Pupils, Principles, Peace concept transforms the perceptions of the average citizen such that he/she becomes empowered by a new sense of identity with all these facets. The average citizen whose concept of citizenship was that he/she should live peacefully, enjoy his/her rights, pay the taxes, obey the laws, now realizes that the citizen can play a more active contributory role in society and the state. Besides, the perception about the police, the equal role of the public in policing, the perception of the police themselves vis a vis their role as catalysts facilitating citizens to better police themselves lead to mutual understanding and a better security environment. The police, for one thing will begin to perceive themselves not as agents of the government or not merely as creatures of the law but as servants and friends of the people as a whole. This perception will lead to behavioural modification since people are beginning to openly identify themselves as Friends of Police, it behooves the police to behave as Friends of People. The palpable sense of fear of police that exists in postcolonial countries like India will begin to decline and eventually disappear. The people's perception that police are indeed, their friends and can be trusted would lead to them sharing information and intelligence with the police. When citizens participate in policing by doing night patrols, traffic regulation and so on, their perception of the police will change and they will develop a sense of empathy for the police. The view that the police are defenders of the status quo, and are pro-rich and anti-poor will change when the other meaning of FOP Friend of Poor is canvassed. People and police personnel will begin to take actions to help the poor and underprivileged. Such changes in perception, behaviour and actions will lead to a gradual, incremental transformation of the hitherto negative police image in the eyes of the public they are meant to serve.

Perception and National Development

Deng Xiaoping, the architect of Modern China was invited by Lee Yuankew , then President of Singapore to witness first hand the economic miracle wrought under his leadership in Singapore. That visit transformed Deng's perception of the utility of capitalism and the virtue of free enterprise. Thereafter, he sent several delegations of Chinese officials to Singapore. They too felt that a similar economic transformation was possible in mainland China. Altered perceptions of the path of economic development led China to give up Communist notions of state ownership of capitalism and the crushing of private initiative. It led to the concept of the Special Economic Zone. Deng's new orientation to policy was famously summed up in his aphorism that " it does not matter if a cat was black or red, as long as it caught the mice." Communist Capitalism was the net result with the political reins of power in the hands of the Communist Party of China and the reins of economic development in the hands of private enterprise funded by foreign capital.

Perception Engineering

Perception Engineering is a new discipline or concept and technique created by me. What does it mean? You cannot change the reality in the short run but you can change your perception of the reality in an instant. The great leaders of the past succeeded not because they could change the reality but because by one speech, one slogan,one gesture, one catch-all phrase they could change the perception of reality of a large number of people. The change in the perception led to the change in reality in due course. Walt Disney for instance perceived fun, beauty, daring, cunning, humour, adventure in an otherwise ignored and ugly mouse and altered the reality for millions of young and older people. In doing so, he altered his own then miserable personal fortunes. Winston Churchill altered the perception of the ability of the United Kingdom to reverse her fortunes in the deadly war against Nazi Germany by a series of speeches with memorable phrases and his typical V sign with his fingers. Mahatma Gandhi altered the perception of the Indian people that they could wrest freedom and independence from British colonial rule. If the Indian police has to be reformed, the police and the public at large have to percieve that reform is both possible and necessary.