After a five-year-long wait, north Kerala’s first ever police museum with an exclusive collection of historical articles and exhibits has become a reality near the District Police Chief’s office in Kozhikode city.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan opened the facility, which throws light on the history and the growth of the police force in the Malabar region.
The proposal for the Malabar Police Museum, which gained impetus when Uma Behra was the District Police Chief, was implemented with the generous contribution of rare exhibits and artefacts by various individuals from their personal collections. Many of those who donated the articles were the family members and relatives of police officers, who were part of the force during its infancy.
Officials in charge of the museum said the visitors would be able to see a unique collection of exhibits such as archive documents, writing utensils, ornamental medals, official seals and royal crown buttons used by the force in the past. A first aid box used during the British period could be one of the very old items in the collection, they said.
Until very recently, the Pazhassi Raja Archaeological Museum at East Hill here was the major source of information for those who took up academic research about the history of the police in the Malabar region. One of the highlights here was an exclusive collection of various police caps.
Considering the importance of the latest initiative among young researchers, the police would again call for public contributions in the form of rare exhibits. Officials said it would be developed into a full-fledged museum in a couple of years with all the learning resources to depict the foundation of the police explaining its history from ancient to modern era.
The museum was set up using an old building earlier occupied by the City Women Cell. A team of officers under the District Crime Records Bureau (DCRB) supervised the installation process. They had also visited various museums across the State ahead of the work. Considering the pandemic situation, the facility would be open to the public after some time.
Published - June 26, 2021 10:01 pm IST
