Mangaluru Police have only 3.5% of Muslims and Christians, despite latter forming 35% of city's population

Following the death of two Muslims in the police firing at an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in Mangaluru on December 19, several organisations and prominent personalities have raised concerns over the abysmal representation of minority communities in the city's police force.

The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), a human rights organisation, said police stations in the communally-sensitive areas, such as Ullal and Surathkal, do not have personnel from the minority communities. “Mangaluru never had a Christian or Muslim Superintendent of Police or Police Commissioner after Independence. This despite the minority communities forming 35% of the city's population," said the organisation's vice-president Mohammad Kabir.

Data analysis

In this context, a data analysis has revealed the abysmally low representation of Muslims and Christians in Mangaluru City Police ranks.

The data, sourced from the Mangaluru City Police (MCP) website, showed that 605 personnel work in 15 police stations (Law and Order).

No Muslim or Christian figured in seven key positions – one Commissioner, two Deputy Commissioners and four Assistant Commissioners – in the force.

Of the remaining 598 positions, 575 posts, or 95.37%, have been occupied by the members of the Hindu community. These include inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors and constables.

The city police force has 14 Muslims and 9 Christians. This constitutes just 3.47% of the force's total strength. According to 2011 census, the two communities form 35% of Mangaluru's population (Muslims form 23.85%, Christians 11.14%).

Muslims constitute 13% while Christians form 1.87% of the Karnataka population.

No Christian inspectors

Of the 15 inspectors, only two belong to the Muslim community. One is attached with Mangaluru Rural and the other with Panambur. Surprisingly, no Christian has figured in the list of inspectors.

There are three assistant sub-inspectors from minority communities in the city police. Of them, one belongs to Muslim community (Bajpe) and two are from Christian community (Kankanady and Mangaluru South).

The scenario is no different either in police stations that fall under communally-sensitive areas like Ullal and Surathkal.

Ullal, which has 65.44% Muslim population, has only one Muslim constable, while Surathkal, which had witnessed communal violence in 1998, has no police personnel either from Muslim or Christian communities. Mangalore North, which witnessed violence on December 19, has only one Christian constable.

Women's force

The city police has 66 women police personnel, but none of the inspectors or sub-inspectors belong to the minority communities.

Muslim community's representation has been limited to two constables – one each in Mulky and Panambur.

Of the 448-member strong constabulary, minority representation is just 3.30% (2.27% Muslims and 1.03% Christians). This means 11 hail from Muslim community while seven come from Christian community.

Mangaluru Police's version

A senior officer of the Mangaluru City Police, on condition of anonymity, said the data available on the police website might not be exactly the same on the ground. “There may be some changes because of transfers and suspensions of the police personnel. The website is also not promptly updated,” he said.

“But by large the religious composition remains the same,” he added.

Significance of the analysis

The data assumes significance in the wake of allegations that the police used brute force against the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters on December 19.

Two Muslim men - Abdul Jaleel, 49, and Nauseen, 23 - were killed in the police firing. Relatives of the deceased had alleged that the two were not part of the protests and were gunned down while watching the march from a distance. The police even named the two deceased in the First Information Report.

The police even barged into the Highland Hospital and threatened to kill the patients, according to a report in The Wire.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamiah had alleged that the police firing was 'communally instigated'.

Criticism

The statistics appears to have ratified the controversial statement made by Sangh Parivar leader Ganesh Karnik in 2015.

In a sting operation carried out by Cobra-Post in 2015, Karnik, who was a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), said that "60% of police force comprised of RSS workers and that the infiltration comes handy to the party affiliates when they need to take the law into their hands."

Prominent personalities have criticised the police for their allegiance to Sangh Parivar.

Dakshina Kannada (DK) President of Komu Sauhardha Vedike (Forum for Communal Harmony) Suresh Bhat Bakrabail is one among them. "Some of the members of the Dakshina Kannada district police are institutionalised members of Sangh Parivar akin to Bajaranga Dal or Sreerama Sene," he said.

Concerns

Police reform activists have been complaining lack of efforts by the police to restore confidence in the minority communities and other marginalised groups, despite Mangaluru repeatedly witnessing communal violences in the past 26 years.

Prominent lawyer Dinesh Hegde Ulepady said the government should take a balanced approach while appointing police personnel, keeping in mind the religious and cultural diversity. "It will also bridge the trust deficit that currently prevails between the police and the minority communities."

Speaking to Onmanorama, a senior police official who had served in Mangaluru City Police said the IPS cadre or senior officials do not have control over their subordinates.

He said that it is difficult to carry out a routine deployment or transfers of junior officials without the approval from local satraps of Sangh Parivar. “As recently as July last year, former Mangaluru City Police Commissioner Sandeep Patil suspended Inspector of Surathkal Police Station from service alleging dereliction of duty (failing to act against cattle thefts and narcotics). But in less than 24 hours, he was reinstated. In less than three weeks, Sandeep was transferred,” the official said.

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