To offset caste tensions, Beed SP asks police to avoid using surnames

Deshmukh was a Maratha while most of the accused belong to the OBC Vanjari community. This led to further bitterness between the OBCs and the Maratha community, which were already at loggerheads over the reservation issue. The murder eventually led to the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde.

Police officers said the SP’s directive is meant to avoid further caste tensions in the district. “The Beed SP has issued directives to all police personnel in the district to address each other by their first names and put their first names on uniforms and avoid surnames. This is being done to stop caste discrimination in the district,” Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Ingale, spokesperson for Beed police, told The Indian Express Friday.

Citing problems being faced by police, Ingale said that if a person belonging to the Maratha community is caught by traffic police personnel for violation of rules, the violator looks for the name of the officer on his uniform. “If he identifies that the officer is from the OBC community, the violator alleges that he was caught because he is a Maratha. It is the same when a violator belonging to an OBC community is caught… The surnames are leading to unnecessary verbal duels and ugly scenes. Therefore, this decision has been taken,” the spokesperson said.

The police officers have also been given nameplates for their desks with only their first names in it.

Beed SP Kanwat was not available for comment.

While the Maratha community has welcomed the move and said it should be implemented across the state, the OBC community called for a change of the police mindset as well.

Vinod Patil, member of the Maratha Kranti Morcha, which is fighting for the community’s quota demand in the Supreme Court, said, “The police department is the only wing where there is no union or groupism. We also want police to be neutral and deal with criminals as criminals and not belonging to any particular community. When the police force becomes independent and is not identified by their caste or religion, it will help in taking appropriate decisions and uphold our Constitution.”

“We welcome the Beed SP’s decision and urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to remove surnames of the police officers from their nameplates and uniforms,” he said.

Haribhau Rathod, an OBC leader, said, “The intention of the Beed SP is good but it looks like a half-hearted measure. Making use of first names is fine, how about changing the mindset of the police force.”

“There are some police personnel who look at criminals from the prism of caste. The police should leave their caste at home when they don the khaki uniform. They should behave like a third umpire and take completely independent decision and not seen to be taking sides. For this, there is need to change the mindset of the police through training sessions,” he said.

Retired Bombay High Court judge B G Kolse-Patil, who is among the voices of the reservation agitation, said the decision is unlikely to bring a change in Beed unless there is a change in the mindset of the police force.

“From whatever has appeared in the media, it is clear that so far the police personnel were dancing to the tunes of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde,” he alleged. “Similarly, had police acted promptly in the Santosh Deshmukh case, his murder would not have taken place. Every day we hear of brutal attacks on the people … If police stop being slaves to the politicians, not a single crime will take place in Beed. And therefore, I don’t think this measure will work,” he said.