The Metropolitan Police Hindu Association have slammed plans to introduce so called "positive discrimination" into the police recruitment procedure.

Under proposed positive discrimination, certain ethnic minorities would have their job applications fast-tracked compared with white candidates. The aim is to create a more inclusive police force that ethnically resembles population that it serves.

Bhimji Vekaria, president of the Metropolitan Police force said that he would be uncomfortable with a system where one person's racial identity could get them a job while another's would lose them the job. Such a system would not uphold the principles of a competency based selection procedure. While it may increase the ethnic diversity of the police force, there are fears that it could breed segregation, resentment and actually worsen racial tensions in the long-term.

For years the number of south Asians in the Metropolitan Police force has been well below par compared with their population. A number of reasons could be suggested for a lack of enthusiasm for a career in the police amongst south Asian communities, the most important being a negative image of the police force, coupled with bad experiences of police behaviour. Efforts have been made to increase the number of Asians in the police force, which so far have yielded unimpressive results. Therefore policy makers are now considering more drastic options, such as racial quotas.

Hindu Voice UK comment:
Having a police force with so few ethnic minorities, particularly a very low number of Hindus and others of Indian ethnicity in the police force seriously disadvantages us. A more diverse police force would be able to provide a better service, especially when cultural sensitive issues arise. It would also reduce distrust of the police force which all ethnic minorities share.

However - positive discrimination and racial quotas are not the right way to go. It would be a slippery road to tread, fraught with danger. For a start, groups like the BNP would use it to show how white people are being mistreated and treated like second-class citizens "in their own country".

Alternative ways of attracting more ethnic minorities towards jobs in the police force exist. Spreading awareness through concrete examples of why a more diverse force is essential, together with robust information about the (very reasonable) pay and other personal benefits of a career in the police force are good starting points.

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