Panta Bihar is one of the states where caste divisions matter more than in others and the divide permeates even the police force.
The kitchens, where the food for Patna police personnel are cooked, are named and divided along the caste lines.
"Yadav chawka (kitchen) hai, Rajput chawka hai, Bhumihar chawka hai, Bhramhan chawka hai, Harizan chawka hai, yahi saab naam hai (Thesea re all the names of the kitchens)," cook employed in Patna police line Mahesh Sah says.
He adds that there are Dalit kitchens, too, in the police line and the only place where Dalit cops are allowed to have there meals.
Though police should enforce caste and communal harmony among people but instead it has been promoting division along caste lines.
On being asked if a Dalit cop could have his food in some other caste's kitchen, a a policeman Ramparveesh Kumar replied that there eating place is separate from the other castes.
These kitchens divided on caste line and the tradition have been continuing for years and are a clear testimony of the fact that how caste dominates in Bihar.
However the superiors seem to be turning a blind eye to this.
"Completely caste ka kitchen ho yeh sambhaaw nahi hai. Alaag alag kitchen iss liye baanate hai ki cook sarkkari ho ya private 50 admi se jaida manage nahi kaar pata hai (Kitchen based on caste lines id=s not possible. There are separate kitchens because one person cannot cook for more that 50 men," senior Surerintendent of Patna Police Kundan Krishnan says.
The Nitish Kumar government has announced plans to give the police an image makeover. Perhaps, the chief minister should begin his reforms right from the police kitchens.
(With inputs from Rajmohan Sudhakar)
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