Former Delhi Police ACP Rajindar Pathania has shared two memories from a trip to Germany, saying they changed the way he looked at policing, public service and civic responsibility.
In a post on social media, Pathania recalled an incident in which his tour bus, carrying a group of Indian travellers, was stopped and surrounded by German police.
According to Pathania, the passengers were taken to a police station, where they were asked to get off the bus one by one. Their passports and visas were checked, while their luggage was also searched.
The police action initially made him concerned, he said. However, what happened during the luggage inspection left a lasting impression on him.
Pathania said German police officers personally picked up the passengers' luggage, carried it to the baggage scanner and returned it to the bus after the checks were completed.
🇩🇪 जर्मनी की यात्रा में दो दृश्य देखे… दोनों ने दिल को छू लिया!
— Rajindar Pathania (@rajenderpathan4) September 2, 2026
जर्मनी भ्रमण के दौरान एक दिन हमारी पूरी बस को जर्मन पुलिस ने घेर लिया। बस में हम सभी भारतीय यात्री थे। पुलिस हमें थाने लेकर गई।
एक-एक यात्री को बस से उतारा गया। पासपोर्ट और वीज़ा चेक किया गया, सामान की तलाशी ली… pic.twitter.com/SReJhCj49Q
After more than 38 years in the police service, Pathania said the experience gave him a different perspective on the uniform.
He said the incident showed that policing can involve strict enforcement of the law while also being carried out with respect, sensitivity and a sense of service.
"The real dignity of the uniform lies not only in authority, but in exercising that authority with humanity," he wrote.
Pathania said his second memorable experience in Germany was the cleanliness of its streets and public spaces.
He described seeing clean roads and public areas with little unnecessary litter. He said he was sharing short videos from the trip that showed the surroundings.
The former police officer questioned whether Germany's cleanliness was simply the result of better government systems.
While acknowledging the role of administration, he said he believed the bigger difference was in citizens' attitudes and their sense of responsibility towards public spaces.
Pathania argued that governments can provide infrastructure, employ sanitation workers and run cleanliness campaigns, but citizens ultimately play a major role in keeping public places clean.
He urged people in India to look beyond blaming authorities for poor sanitation and ask themselves who throws rubbish on roads, dirties public walls or fails to treat public spaces with the same care as their homes.
For Pathania, the two experiences offered separate but connected lessons. The first was about how those in uniform should exercise authority, while the second was about how citizens should exercise their freedom responsibly.
He said travelling abroad should not only be about admiring another country's beauty or infrastructure. It can also be an opportunity to bring back lessons that could help improve one's own country.
Pathania concluded that India can become cleaner and better when both public servants and citizens take responsibility for their roles.
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