Quota for Muslims proposed in police force

The Karnataka State Minorities Commission has proposed a 15 per cent quota for Muslims in the police force in communally sensitive areas of the State.

“In Dakshina Kannada district comprising Mangalore and other communally sensitive areas of coastal Karnataka, it is recommended that at least 15 per cent of the police force should be drawn from the Muslim community, which has been adversely affected by the riots”, Chairman of the Commission K S Mohammed Masood said in his latest report submitted to the Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy last week.

He said that it is imperative that the police force should have Muslim police also as a “control and precautionary mechanism”.

The Commission’s report comes in the wake of the recent communal violence in Mangalore, which claimed the lives of two Muslims and hit the community hard.

Masood suggested that suitable dedicated policemen drawn from the minorities should man the police stations in communally sensitive areas. The Commission is of the view that in offices of Inspector General of Police, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police and in sensitive police stations, some persons belonging to the minority community should be posted as sub inspector or at least as police constables.

The report also urged the State Government to appoint Muslims in the offices of Deputy Commissioner, Zilla Panchayat, Assistant Commissioner, Headquarters’ Assistant to Deputy Commissioner in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts.

With a view to increasing the surveillance in sensitive areas, the Commission has suggested constitution of peace committees comprising representatives from all communities. “These committees, with Principal Secretary to the Department of Home as Chairperson, should be assisted by a police cell headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police”, Masood said in his latest report.