Uttar Pradesh police unsure of fiddling with the handlebar moustache

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police are facing a ticklish hirsute problem these days.

The top brass finds itself virtually on the handlebar of a dilemma on whether the men in uniform should necessarily sport a moustache.

Since there is no rule or government order categorically dealing with the issue, the hairy problem continues to bristle.

The question came up after UP Police recently recruited about 35,000 new candidates. Their training is to begin soon, and “dress regulation” forms an essential part of that regimen. The UP Police Uniform Rules, 1986, has clear instructions about haircuts and the obligation of shaving everyday. But there are no similar guidelines on moustaches.

However, director general (Police Training) BL Yadav feels the moustache is a symbol of authority. “It adds a sense of pride and prestige to a policeman’s look,” he says, also pointing out that there has been a tradition of giving a special “moustache maintenance allowance” to those exceptionally endowed at the philtrum. The officer says a decision would be taken after consultation with army officers and retired police officers, and only then would a proposal be put up before the government on this subject.

Others in the police fraternity feel that whiskers as part of a cop’s turnout is an obsolete concept.

“Those were times when a policeman was supposed to look scary to strike fear among outlaws, but not anymore,” says Sriram Arun, retired director general of police, UP. “Now, the police force is expected to be friendly to the people, and big moustaches could convey just the opposite impression,” he adds.

He is of the view that “to grow or not to grow” should be a matter of personal choice, as it has always been, rather than being one forced through rules and regulations.

Most officials this correspondent spoke to supported this lenient view. “The army prohibits keeping a beard. But, neither the army nor the paramilitary forces have stringent rules on moustaches,” says a senior police official.

Another points out that the army only has a “grooming standard” providing guidelines for moustache maintenance.

For the time being, the Police Training Directorate is learnt to be weighing the pros and cons before taking a call on the bushy issue.

Till then, the matter remains, well, fuzzy.