Attack on Secularism
Appointment of Muslim Police Officers in the
Muslim Dominated Areas Recommended
(This is in the public domain that Sachar Committee has given an important
recommendation in its report submitted in 2006 that Muslim police officials should be
deputed in the Muslim-dominated areas. In a very recent move, Union home secretary
R K Singh sent a missive instructing chief secretaries of every state that only
Muslim sub inspectors or inspectors should be posted in the Muslim-dominated areas.
The Union home secretary also instructed state governments that they must inform
the Centre immediately if they have implemented it or not. The home secretary
also said that this is not an attempt to correct behavior towards the neglected community
but to generate confidence in the Muslim community. The Center has instructed
state governments to send report in every six weeks.)- Editor
According to Dainik Inquilab {June 8}, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson
Syed Shahnawaz Hussain has termed the move unfortunate and alleged that
the Congress is dividing the country in the name of religion. The police are also being
divided in the name of religion. He said that the Congress is trying to incite communal
tension in the country.
Roznama Rashtriya Sahara on June 9, reported that this decision of the
government is going to generate confidence among Muslims. The newspaper also
reported that the decision was taken late. It is always alleged that the police intentionally
target Muslims. The police pick up Muslim youths and even reports are not lodged.
Muslims feel that they need such police officials who listen to them and instead of
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being partial, they must act impartial. The newspaper reported that Sachar Committee
says a feeling among Muslims is taking root that justice is not being done to them. They
are being discriminated on religious ground and are deprived from justice.
Imam of Fatehpuri Mosque Mufti Mukarram said this decision is going to
generate confidence among Muslims. But it is also necessary that Muslims should also
be recruited in the police force in proportion to their population. He said that the
decision was taken late.
According to another news report published in the newspaper, it was alleged
that number of Muslims in the government jobs is much less in proportion to their
population. Some data was also provided to substantiate the allegation. In Uttar Pradsh,
where proportion of Muslim population is much higher, Muslims are not getting proper
representation especially in the police, paramilitary force and intelligence services.
Jamiat Ulama e Hind president Maulana Arshad Madni said, “Though we welcome
this decision but the way communalism has gripped our social fabric, it is not
going to help.” The suggestion by Sachar Committee to depute Muslim officials in the
Muslim dominated areas will not be of much help because riots don’t take place in the
areas where Muslims are in majority rather riots take place where Muslims are less in
number and economically sound.
Janata Dal {United} leader Shivanand Tiwari said that this decision is
going to generate confidence among Muslims. The government should have taken this
decision 60 years ago. In Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government is already giving more
representation to Muslims in police and intelligence services. Tiwari said that the BJP
has always been anti-Muslim.
BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi expressed happiness over implementation
of Sachar Committee report. He said, “I have been demanding implementation
of the recommendation of Sachar Committee. He asked. “Do we have so much
Muslim police officials to depute them in the Muslim dominated area. If there are not
so much police officials, how would this policy be implemented?”
Roznama Rashtriya Sahara in its on June 9 issue wrote that this could be
implemented where there are UPA governments. However, it all depends on the state
governments to implement this instruction of the Centre. If the government is really
serious about it, then deputing one or two police official in the Muslim dominated area
will not serve the purpose. Therefore it is necessary that Sachar Committee report and
suggestion made by Congress leader late Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna should be taken
seriously that Muslims should be given reservation in proportion to their population.
There is no doubt about it that posting of Muslim inspector or sub inspector in the
Muslim-dominated area would definitely reduce the sense of insecurity among Muslims
but is this correct that where number of Muslims are less they should be left
helpless. The most important thing is that there is a need to change growing feeling of
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communalism in the police and they must be trained to work impartially.
According to Hindustan Express {June 8}, Member of Parliament Md.
Adeeb said, “We doubt the intention of the government. No government wants to do
justice with minorities. Muslims in Uttar Pradesh can get justice only when they are 18
per cent in the police.”
President of All India Milli Council Dr Manzoor Alam said that Muslims
should be recruited in the police department in proportion to their population.
Editor of Milli Ghazat Zafarul Islam said that the police department is full of
anti-Muslim people. Unless they are removed from the post, injustice with Muslims
would continue. Therefore honest and impartial people should be recruited in the
police.
Sahafat in its June 11 issues alleged that the administration has anti-Muslim
sentiment therefore the instruction of deputing Muslim inspectors in the Muslim-dominated
areas are not going to fructify as similar instructions were also given in 2008 but
they are not implemented till now. Therefore there is a need to be tough on this issue.
Where there is BJP government in the country, it is not being implemented including
that of Gujarat. The newspaper reported that when Sardar Patel was Union Home
minister, then a secret circular was issued in which it was said that Muslims should not
be recruited in the police and intelligence agencies; and because of this circular Muslims
are deprived of their rights.
(For more details, log on to www.indiapolicyfoundation.org)
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