Chhattisgarh adds tribal teeth against Maoists
BASTAR: The Chhattisgarh government is adding new armour in its battle against the outlawed CPI (Maoist). The state has started a large recruitment drive to enlist local youth as constables specifically for the seven restive districts of the Bastar red zone.
The area-specific recruitment drive is unique in that a resident of Dantewada can’t apply for placement in adjoining Sukma district. The 10-day-long physical tests just ended and the written examination is slated for second week of August. The state government had approved the proposal to recruit local youths in February this year.
“Besides giving them employment, the locals’ familiarity with the geographical terrain, knowledge of the region’s culture and language are going to prove beneficial for the police,” said ADG (CAF, STF & Training) Sanjay Pillay.
Gajju Karanga, 26, a 12th class passout from remote Abujhmad region, registered himself in the morning along with other tribal candidates at the Narayanpur district police ground. A few hours later, he was shouting with joy, “Yes! I did it.” He had cleared the high jump bar. “I know what I am and where I want to go. I have seen the Maoist menace since my childhood,” he said, explaining his reason for joining the police
Similarly, Mandavi Eitu, 24, of Dantewada and Kumari Kaka Amita, 23, from Sukma, both matriculate pass, pointed out how the rebels remain influential in their areas. “We wish to live in a terror-free environment. Fear of the Maoists persists for everyone. But the entry into the police force diminishes that fear,” they said.
Police chiefs of the Maoistaffected districts were impressed with the endurance and strength of the tribal candidates. “Such recruits will be very useful for our operations. The locals will connect more with the administration,” felt Kondagaon district SP Santosh Singh. The first phase to select 740 constables for Bastar zone will be over by August end. A month later, another process will start to set up four battalions of the Chhattisgarh Armed Forces (CAF) comprising 4,028 personnel.