#dnaEdit: Minority report

A report detailing strategies for making police forces more sensitive towards minority sections  submitted by three state DGPs to the central government last year must be taken serious note of by the powers that be. Far from the perception effectively disseminated by the Hindu right wing that Muslims are a pampered lot, the report compiled by the three top cops heading Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh police paints a different and alarming picture of contemporary reality. The report warns of a gaping trust deficit building up among Muslims who see police forces as communal, biased and insensitive and makes a candid admission that many in the police are ill-informed, corrupt and lacking in professionalism. The report also bemoaned the poor representation of minorities in police forces and the biased conduct of some policemen during communal riots. What makes this report most impressive is that the solutions proposed are grounded in common sense and  maximising interaction with minorities rather than technocratic ideas or political approaches. 

The report examines the role of the police when troubles broke out over slaughtering animals during festival times, allegations of scripture burning, and the flaws in etiquette during routine interactions with minorities while beat policing, passport verification and other routine tasks. Using such examples, the report espouses the importance of regular interface with minority communities at all levels in the police hierarchy. However, where the report falls into the establishment narrative is the reiteration of the tired old bogey that NGOs are spreading distrust about law enforcement agencies and an “active, news-hungry” media lends credence to these NGOs projections. NGOs enter where the State balks or fears to tread. It is only through spotlighting injustice that corrective action can begin. The counter-narrative of very few rights groups and media outlets being around to give voice to minority grievances cannot be ignored either.

The implications, on the country’s internal security, of the police force failing to carry all sections together, demands that a course correction be effected without delay. The BJP which helms the central government has long been in denial of the Sachar committee recommendations on inadequate Muslim representation in state police forces. But a significant section in the Sangh Parivar characterised by the likes of VHP chief Ashok Singhal who this week claimed that Muslims should be “prepared for further Hindu consolidation” and “if they keep opposing Hindus, how long can they survive” points to the roadblocks that would hinder the home ministry while considering this report.

Home minister Rajnath Singh did the rounds of dargahs and visited Muslim clerics during his campaign in Lucknow and impressed many with this commitment to secularism. The report presents him an occasion to move past symbolism. For long, the BJP has blamed the Congress of votebank politics without improving the lot of Muslims. If it chooses to implement this self-critical report from senior police officers, admitting lapses in policing mechanisms, the Modi government has an opportunity to score the right political points. The DGPs’ report calling for a comprehensive community policing plan, participatory policing and a standard operating procedure to be followed in riots is as apolitical as it gets. In contrast, the Sachar committee recommendations and the communal violence bill failed because these were targeted as the Congress’ political weapons for selective appeasement. Beyond the police, and as reflected in the 2014 general elections, the DGPs’ report conveys a larger drift: the social and political marginalisation of the Muslim community.