The Akhilesh Yadav government is now making a conscious effort to induct more people from Muslim minorities into the police force.
A proposal to this effect has been sent to the government by the police department.
UP DGP, A.C. Sharma, while addressing a conference of retired officers of the Provincial Police Services, said that if the state government cleared the proposal, retired PPS officers would be commissioned to train the new entrants.
“In the proposal sent to the state government, we have suggested that Muslim students should be inducted into the police forces and the services of retired PPS officers should be taken to train the new cadres,” the DGP said.
Later, DGP Sharma explained that the induction of minorities, particularly Muslims, would make the UP police force more broad-based and would also help immensely in ensuring better policing.
At present, Uttar Pradesh has a poor representation of Muslims in the state police force. Of the 1.87 lakh police personnel in UP, the strength of Muslims is merely 9, 166.
The Sachchar Committee report of November 2006 had also pointed to the poor representation of Muslims in various government services and recommended having Muslim officers at top positions in police stations as a way to build confidence among the population which may have a high concentration of Muslims.
Earlier in 2012, the central government also sent a letter to all the state governments, asking them to ensure higher representation of Muslims in the police force. National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairperson Wajahat Habibullah said that poor representation of Muslims in the police is impacting investigations as there is a lack of sensitivity in understanding the community.
Former director general of the UP Police, Prakash Singh, however, felt that it would be better if policemen were taught to behave objectively, irrespective of their religion and efforts were made to erase caste lines that divide the police force. Meanwhile, a top police official in the state, on condition of anonymity, said that publicising the induction of Muslims in the police force could lead to a backlash from the majority community. “Such decision should be implemented without making a hue and cry. During the recruitment drive, we should encourage more Muslim boys to apply. At present, the PAC is accused of being anti-minorities because it is dominated by Hindus. Tomorrow, if more Muslims are inducted, the majority community could react in a similar manner and that would be dangerous. It is best not to identify the police personnel by their caste or religion and ensure representation to all,” he said.