It’s a well-known military strategy. Weaken your enemy by cutting off supplies — of arms, rations and even soldiers. This is what the district police here is adopting in its war against the naxalites. They are cutting off the naxalites’ source of recruits from the area by helping educated, unemployed Adivasi youth join the police. The incidental spin off?
The youth would be integrated into mainstream society once gainfully employed, according to Superintendent of Police R. Bhaskaran, whose brainchild the coaching idea is. They are being coached to crack the Telangana Public Service Commission’s constable recruitment test which is three months away, after a postponement.
As part of the strategy, and a first of its kind in the district, 190 Koya tribals, including 19 girls, were identified for the free coaching camp by the district police.
Well-planned strategy
This includes a 45-day free coaching, including food and accommodation, at the Mulug mandal headquarters, which is 35 km from Bhupalapally and 50 km from Warangal. As the area was once under the dominance of naxalites, it is a catchment area for them to fill their cadres.
In a well-planned operation, police stations were instructed to identify educated unemployed youth in a door-to-door campaign in their villages, invite them, and even guide them through the application process right from form filling.
K. Varalaxmi of Rajupeta of Mangapet mandal who completed her intermediate was clueless about her future. “Studying intermediate is great in our house. Nobody ever went to school. I stopped after intermediate and was searching for some job. The home guard from the police station came and asked me to enrol for free coaching. I am now confident of getting a job,” she told The Hindu.
G. Ramlaxman Kumar of Wazed mandal completed his BA and has been searching for a job. The free coaching has come like a god sent opportunity.
Private help
“We have roped in good faculty from private coaching institutes to train the tribal youth in mental ability, Telangana history, English and general knowledge,” Mr. Bhaskaran told The Hindu.
Sub-inspector B. Raju, in-charge of the camp, said 90% of them would get through the test as they have already been screened for physical fitness. “Since they come under the reserved category, they will easily pass the test. We are conducting weekly tests to see how many of them will qualify the written test,” he explained.
Reserve sub-inspector G. Thomas Reddy who has been conducting physical training said all the Adivasi youth have good physical fitness and they will easily clear the physical efficiency test.
Many of the youth hail from remote tribal hamlets that are cut off from mainstream owing to poor infrastructure in Venkatapur, Wazed, Eturunagaram, Mangapet and other mandals.
Mr. Bhaskaran said that the process will be a continuous one and will be repeated.