KS Vyas – Tiger Zinda Hai

He was ruthlessly honest and sincere. Very passionate about his work. Dedicated and loyal to his commitment. He was full of life, positive energy and motivated youngsters. He was a symbol of hard work, grit and determination. Words like loss and disappointment never existed in his dictionary. He was fearless, forthright and upright to the core. He influenced the thought process of people around him. He was always the first to lend a hand not caring for the consequences.

That was Shri KS Vyas, IPS, a legend. He despite being a very senior police officer was a hands-on person, who led from the front. His physical presence in the field influenced and inspired a whole generation of police personnel. HIS LEGACY LIVES ON.

Vyas was born the 'madhyama,' among 5 siblings in a middle-class family that shifted from Medak in

Telangana, to Hyderabad in mid-50s. He was preceded by an elder brother and a sister followed by two younger sisters. Both parents were teachers. The first set of his elder siblings settled early in life and the second set of three siblings grew up together like triplets. The three were partners in every mischief and in every activity of life inside and outside home. Through school and college, they shared every incident and every secret with each other keeping the parents away from their little world of 'gossip'. The three were in their own world and never needed anybody else from outside. There were no video games, no computers and no TV. Playing with marbles, kite flying, gulli danda and cricket were their favorite games.

Vyas taught his younger sisters how to play marbles, which was very unusual for girls in 50s and 60s. Playing with marbles taught them hand and eye motor co-ordination and enabled them to hit the target right. They learned to aim high in life and reach the goal. They learnt what persistence is and made winning their habit. With the brother on their side the girls neither knew what fear is nor feared anything. Kite flying was a great game, no it was a kite 'war', a battle in mid- air with kites soaring high in the sky, especially during Sankranti time. Well before the festival all three embarked on the 'manja' making. It was a well-exercised process.

They collected all broken glass pieces from around the house, plucked leaves from a thorny plant and sat in the afternoons to grind them together on a stone in the backyard of their house. The thread that was to be 'manja', was spread across the trees. The ground paste was taken in a thick cloth and applied vigorously to the thread that is tied around the trees to make it cutting sharp, for the kite fight, hurting the hands badly in the process. The effort to hide the bruised hands from parents and shielding each other needed a great effort. Kite flying was a great adventure.

Reaching the terrace at least 4 or 5 times in a day, having no stairs, on a rickety shaky ladder was like climbing Mount Everest. Safety was always at risk but God was with them. Can't understand till today why God duped and deceived the family afterwards. Cricket for Vyas was an addiction, a way of life. He was a good batsman and a hitter till his college days. One of the sisters was always a bowler and the other a fielder. Getting a chance to bat was a boon. Their mother was always unhappy about girls being inducted into cricket. He assured her that within 20 years there will be a women's cricket team representing India. His vision proved right.

For Vyas, passion always mattered. Vision and passion ran parallel. He believed that if you have vision, you should have an unquenchable flare and desire to make that vision real and have the ability to see it. The sisters learnt the game. Girls playing cricket and using cricket terminology was almost a taboo in those days. Their brother and the game taught the sisters that they were no less than boys in anyway. Playing under the tamarind grove (now Bagh Lingampally) in the hot afternoons, with frightening ghost stories being widely circulated, was a scary entertainment. Collecting the pods and seeds was a great time pass. Visiting Public Gardens, Hyderabad, along with parents, once in a month, with all goodies loaded on a cycle rickshaw was a luxury. How the three ran wildly across the gardens was a memory to cherish forever.

'Childhood memories are important for everyone. They are a source of comfort and consolation that makes all remember the best time of their lives. The memories never fade. They are very dear and close to their hearts and cannot be replaced. It's time that does change. But for some the memories give uncontrollable tears. A thick blanket of sorrow wraps over the pleasant memories.'

Along with games and fun, studies too became an important chapter of life. Vyas wanted to become a doctor but destiny had something reserved for him. He was under aged for medical and chose to pursue B.Sc and M.Sc (Agriculture) at Rajendra Nagar Agriculture University, Hyderabad. His aim was to become a farmer with modern techniques. But soon the idea changed as it happens with many ambitious young men and women at that age. From a very young age he had the ambition to become 'police.' His mother was aware of it because as a child he went around with a small stick in his hand trying to protect his mother from bad guys. He always assumed police officers were untouchable action heroes. That inspired him. The naïve 20 something version of him idealized and adored late Shri M.V. Narayana Rao, IPS, DGP of United Andhra Pradesh, a close relative of the family. He was in awe of him and his uniform. It took only a few years to realise his dream. When he graduated from the National Police Academy, Hyderabad, and got his badge he said to himself, 'now I better earn it'. That had been his motivation always.

In his rookie years, he had an undying desire to chase the bad guys with every ounce of aggression possible, no matter what the circumstances. Stay in the fight, don't let up and never walk away was what he believed in. Sometimes that meant chasing suspects on foot, in the dark of night with no back up. Then he learnt that bad guys will still be there later, better not push a bad position in fight and come back to fight another day. Sometimes chasing suspects isn't worth it, and you need to throttle back, so you don't get yourself hurt or anyone else injured.

Vyas was full of courage and confidence. He ran towards gunfire knowing the risk. He had super human strength and iron will capable of doing anything under the sky. The job of a police officer he believed was to find the noise and make it stop, not to panic in dire situations. The real measure of courage for him was getting past the fear, even when you are scared out of mind. To save children or old people enabled him to push past any fears he might have had at any time. For him courage is a trait. It has no parallel. It waits patiently till the heat is on and makes its appearance.

While ordinary mortals flee from danger, the brave run towards it. They overcome the fear and survival instincts and put themselves intentionally in harm's way to protect people they don't know. Vyas put himself in danger to protect others not because circumstances forced him to face danger, not that he learned it but a trait he was born with. The reaction he always showed was automatic and unaffected by fear.

For him, true leadership was not a self- assessment, it's a position treasured by your peers and earned by the personnel that trust and respect you enough to follow you into the field of action. Vyas from childhood believed that life shouldn't be always be about taking easy road. According to him, sometimes the greatest learning experiences were those being brought by adversity and challenge. It is during these times he believed that you learn a great deal about yourself, your strengths and your weaknesses. Don't see others see better than you.

Beat your own records every day because success is a fight between you and yourself. He never waited for a perfect moment but he took a moment and made it perfect. Patience is a cop's best weapon. He had an ear for patient hearing and never succumbed to external pressure. Policing was never a job for him. It was a genuine profession. He was highly trained, exceptionally smart and intelligent who possessed specialized knowledge and skills. He was a law enforcement leader.

From explosive confrontation to quiet defining moments, he never had shortage of wisdom. Vyas was a fitness freak. He always felt that officers that are physically weak and unfit are ill prepared for conflict and they don't exhibit a sense of command. Policing perhaps is one of the world's most dangerous and thankless professions. He knew that anyone who donned the uniform can go anytime, anywhere. The moment you join the force you know you are for the country and its people. He knew destiny could act cruel.

He was made of steel but had a heart of gold. He was always prepared to face any horrifying situation if innocents were trapped or involved. He neither knew what is fear from his childhood nor was he ever scared, in fact it scared him to think that he was never scared.

Being brave is innate. It comes from mother's milk. The brave do not fear. The greatest love for them is to lay down their life for the country. The family can never compromise, believe and accept that the Brave has gone without a warning. Gone so fast. Losing a dear one feels agonized, pathetic and miserable. But the memories give strength and motivation to keep moving on.

(The writer is the younger sister of late K S Vyas, IPS)