AR personnel alleged of littering school compound in Mkg town to film and take images of them cleaning the mess
Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 28
A video clip of Assam Rifles personnel allegedly caught in the act of stage-managing a Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) exercise in a prominent school in Mokokchung town has drawn flak from citizens on the extend of how brazenly a deed of social responsibility can be faked for publicity.
The alleged ‘stage-managed’ cleaning act, which was captured by Mokokchung Premier TV (MPTV), a local channel on Thursday morning, shows AR personnel being questioned by citizens for littering the school compound of Edith Douglas Higher Secondary School with paper shreds, apparently to clean it themselves.
While the video clip itself appears to be self explanatory, the subtitles embedded in the video claims that vigilant citizens foiled the ‘fake’ Swachh Bharat Mission exercise carried out in schools by the Assam Rifles in Mokokchung, Nagaland.
A source from the MPTV said the modus operandi of the AR was to obtain permission from school authorities to sweep the school premises, then litter the school compound themselves and later film and click videos and images of them cleaning the same mess with the students.
Citizens in the video can also be heard reprimanding the AR leader to go clean up places where it is dirty instead of showing up in clean compounds, littering it themselves and then performing the act of cleanliness.
An authority of Edith Douglas HSS when contacted confirmed the incident took place as projected in the video clip. The AR stationed in Mokokchung had sought permission from the school authority a week back for the cleanliness initiative which the school had given consent.
“However, we were taken aback after the AR personnel who arrived with their own broom and basket started littering the compound with paper shreds,” the source from the school said.
The MPTV source said this is not the first instance where the same stunt was performed by the AR in educational institutions. “We heard report of such fake cleanliness campaign carried out in other schools in Mokokchung town, and we have been on the lookout when this incident took place,” the source revealed.
Similar stunt was carried out in another prominent educational institution- Queen Mary Higher Secondary School only a couple of days back, another source informed.
PRO, HQ IGAR(N) when contacted told The Morung Express that the matter has been taken up with the higher authority and investigation is being initiated into the issue. “We are examining into the matter, on what context it exactly happened, or even how the video might have been made with certain intentions…” the PRO stated.
Commentators on different social media platforms where the video clips has gone viral cried foul of trying to tarnish the image of the clean school campus/places by one of the oldest paramilitary force in India in the name of Swatchh Bharat Mission.
This issue needs to be directly addressed to the Prime Minister, one blogger commented.
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