Curfew Politics and Role of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Curfew is one of the strongest and most unusual tools a government can use to control public order. Although it is officially described as a measure to prevent violence and protect people during communal tensions, in reality it is often influenced by political motives and used to send certain messages. In Uttar Pradesh, a state with a long history of communal clashes, the decision to impose curfew and the way the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) is deployed have often been shaped by political interests and majority-community pressures. This paper studies how curfew is used in Uttar Pradesh and how the PAC behaves during such situations, looking at how the force has developed over time, how it acted during major riots, and what various inquiry committees, journalists, human rights groups and scholars have said about its conduct. The review of events from independence to the present, shows that curfew in UP is not just an administrative step but often a political tool that affects different communities in unequal ways. The PAC has repeatedly faced accusations of being biased, using too much force, and targeting specific groups, which highlights how policing, politics and social prejudice are closely connected.