Another colonial tradition bites the dust

The police department has recently decided to do away with the age-old practice of “dressing up” for ceremonies, inspections and calling on seniors.
Earlier, it was customary for officers to wear the elaborate “Review Order Type A” uniform on occasions such as the first day to work in a new position, or while visiting a senior officer. Typically, on such a day, the officer would have had to wear a peak cap, a heavy jacket, a whistle, heavy lanyard slacks, ankle-boots, khaki shirts, a blue tie and even carry a sword and wear medals, among other things.
But with the state police department’s new rule enforced recently, such occasions would now require no cumbersome dressing up.Officers can continue to wear their regular work uniform (called Review Order Type B) and only supplement it with a cross belt to mark the occasion. For officers in parade, the sword will be carried in addition to the working uniform with cross belt.
In an order dated October 6, Om Prakash, director-general and inspector-general of police, said: “Review Order Type B – working dress with Sam Brown Belt [cross belt] shall be treated as the ceremonial uniform for all purposes, including inspections and calling on, for all officers of and above the rank of assistant sub-inspector and equivalent ranks, in the state of Karnataka.”
The decision, in fact, comes not too soon. Most security organisations, including the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Central Police Organisations have already done away with the ‘Type A’ order on uniforms.
“The uniform of our forces have had colonial influences for a long time. Earlier, while senior civil servants were allowed caps, the lower ranking officers used petas (the Mysuru turban). Over a period of time, this tradition was discontinued and even lower-rung officers were allowed caps. The issue of ceremonial uniform has long been debated. The order on working uniform is a welcome move, and it would bring uniformity or equality within the force,” PK Shiva Shankar, retired SP, told Bangalore Mirror.
The only ambiguity that remains to be sorted out, according to Shankar, is the uniform for award ceremonies. “If an officer is being awarded the President’s medal, will he/she go in the same uniform with a cross belt,” he wondered.
Another senior officer Mirror spoke with was also pleased with the scraping away of the elaborate dressing. Sometimes, traditions and customs that are centuries old make little sense in the present day and have to be modified, said the officer.
“The sentry system – which has two or more guards working under an officer – is another system that has been passed on from the colonial times. It makes no sense anymore in this day and age of equality. There has been a strong debate on doing away with the system. Likewise, to bring in commonality or equality, and to do away with discrimination within ranks and between officers, changes are required. In that regard, this is a welcoming move,” the senior officer in the police force told Mirror.