Pramesh S Jain
The Karnataka State Police Complaints Authority has written to the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP),urging the police department to strictly prohibit the use of the term “Dalit” in official communications and SC/ST grievance meetings conducted by police stations and district police offices.
In a letter,KSPCA member,Mohan Kumar Danappa pointed out that the Karnataka Police Department had issued a standing order in 2015 for conducting meetings to hear grievances of members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
However,he said several police stations and district police offices continue to use terms such as“Dalit Grievance Meeting,” “Dalit Meeting,” “Dalit Committee Meeting”and“District-Level Dalit Grievance Meeting”on banners and in publicity material.
He also alleged that the term continues to be used in press releases and on the official social media accounts of some district police units, despite government and departmental instructions.
According to Mr.Danappa,the term“Dalit”is not used in the Constitution or statutes to officially identify Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes.
He referred to a Madhya Pradesh High Court,Gwalior Bench,order and directions issued by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,which,he said, called for the use of the constitutionally recognised terminology “Scheduled Caste”instead.
The letter cited Article 366(24),which defines Scheduled Castes,and Articles 341 and 342,which provide the constitutional framework for identifying Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Danappa has urged the DGP to issue strict instructions to all police stations and police units to use the term “SC/ST Grievance Meeting”or “Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Grievance Meeting”instead.
He further requested that police officials visiting SC/ST colonies for grievance redressal use the designation “visit to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe colonies” rather than terms containing“Dalit”.
The letter also calls for the instructions to be followed in official correspondence,banners,press releases and social media posts of the police department, and for officers to be cautioned against reusing old banners carrying the prohibited terminology.
Earlier Mr.Danappa raised objections to the state police not making seating arrangement to the people who attended grievance meet peace meeting forcing them to sit on the floor.
He pointed out that the officials sit in the chair and made people to sit on floor depicting colonial system of policing and violation to the dignity of the people.
