MANGALURU: The Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) is on a mission to bring tribal youth from remote villages in Naxal-prone areas to the mainstream, by helping them clear competitive exams. At the screening test organised by the Mangaluru city police on Friday, as part of the month-long workshop for aspirants wanting to join the police force, 22 of them are from Naxal-hit areas referred to by ANF superintendent of police (SP) Nikhil B.
He told STOI, “After surveying villages and interacting with locals during combing operations in various districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru and Kodagu, we realised that there is lots to be done for the upliftment of tribal youth.
“Last month we conducted a day-long motivational workshop. For this we went to homes and selected youth willing to attend the workshop. They were introduced to the various job opportunities in the department. Of the 200 youth that attended the workshop, 70% were boys. We have selected 22 youth for the crash course organised by the Mangaluru city police. Once they successfully complete this course, they will be coached to appear for competitive exams. The special push is because these youth have potential, but they are lagging behind because of lack of exposure. We will also focus on their diet once they return, because a few of them are malnourished. We hope to make this a regular activity, and train the youths to write competitive exams,” he said.
Nikhil said the confidence-building measures are taken up under the guidance of DGP&IG Praveen Sood and ADGP (internal security division) Arun Chakravarthy. ANF also organises volleyball and other sports events regularly, where the villagers compete with the ANF team.
During the pandemic, the ANF sponsored food kits, and when there was resistance to take vaccines among villagers, the team went to villages and the personnel got their second dose before them.
In a village in DB Kuppe in Mysuru, the ANF, in coordination with the local administration, has ensured that more than 100 people with disabilities were provided with unique disability ID, so that they can enjoy various benefits provided by the government.
“We are trying hard to see that people in Naxal-prone areas are provided with benefits and are introduced to opportunities which people living in cities enjoy. In the next three-five years, our aim is to see that at least 30-40 youth in the police department are from the Naxal-prone areas,” Nikhil added.
