Madhya Pradesh: SC/ST Written On Chests Of Police Recruitment Candidates To “Avoid Confusion”

In a shocking recent event, newly recruited police constables in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar had their caste stamped on their chests during a medical test. The candidates from reserved category were labelled SC, ST respectively when they were taken to a district hospital in Dhar for a their physical examination.

Height parameters are different for General, OBC, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, but the hospital staff found this a strange way to identify the caste of newly recruited constables. They were all marked as Gen, SC, ST, OBC on their chests. This incident comes just 26 days after caste violence in the state which caused seven deaths, including six Dalits.

According to reports, police said that the step was taken to avoid a mistake. Last year there was a mistake during the medical examination of candidates. When asked for comment, Superintendent of Police Birendra Singh said that an investigation has been ordered. He said that labelling was not done intentionally. “It is a serious matter and we have ordered and investigation. As the number of candidates was high…it must have been done to avoid any confusion,” Singh said, as reported by DNA.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said he will write to Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to urge him to take immediate action against those responsible for ‘insulting’ people from SC/ST category. “Such an incident is an insult to SC/ ST. I’ll write to MP CM over the incident. Appropriate action should be taken against officials responsible for it,” Athawale said.

Such an incident is an insult to SC/ ST. I'll write to MP CM over the incident. Appropriate action should be taken against officials responsible for it: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on candidates appearing for the post of police constable labelled with their castes in MP's Dhar pic.twitter.com/zuHf5FHmYG

— ANI (@ANI) April 29, 2018

On Sunday, home minister Bhupendra Singh ordered an enquiry into the entire incident. SP, Dhar, Virendra Singh and chief medical health officer Dr RC Panika too ordered separate probes and promised to take strict action against those who were found responsible for this humiliating episode.

As per reports, this is not the first time that such events involving discrimination have happened in MP. In December 2017, women awaiting sterilization at Burhanpur district hospital had stickers pasted on their foreheads to differentiate which women had Cesarean operation in the past. Similarly, on Raksha Bandhan in August 207, jail officials stamped the seal on the cheek of two children who came to meet their relative at Bhopal Central Jail.

The Logical Indian Take

No one can brand anyone and discriminate. We all should condemn such an insensitive action and appeal to the concerned authorities to look into the matter and do the needful.

It is necessary to understand that it is the responsibility of the government to provide for backward communities. Also, it is principally wrong on the part of the authorities to pinpoint those who avail benefits from quota and put them through an experience of shame, even if it is to provide a better execution of the welfare schemes. Such a measure would only act as a blow to the self-esteem of the people. The authorities need to be reminded that all citizens of India are treated as equals in front of law and any regulation contradicting this idea can never be in the interest of the common man.