IRB recruitment rally ends in protest

Toshi Longchari
Dimapur | November 12 

The 14 NAP (IR) recruitment rally held at Police Training Centre today was called off following massive protest from the candidates on allegations of bias and unfair means used during the selection process. It was informed that all the 120 candidates who had applied for the post of ABSI were made to run the distance of 3 kilometers at one go within a period of 12 minutes and out of them only 8 were to be chosen. This caused immense difficulty for space during the run in the deplorable road and some of the candidates alleged that they were also shown the wrong direction which resulted in waste of time leading to delay in reaching the finish line. Another candidate also accused that the lady officer on duty had actually pushed him back and selected the candidate behind him in an open display of favoritism.

Following these accusations, a huge confrontation took place in the recruitment venue with the aggrieved candidates refusing to let the other candidates, who had applied to the post of Havildar, go through with their rally. Staging wild protest, these candidates also refused a rerun and demanded that all of them be selected while also calling for action on the lady officer in question. Eye witnesses of the rally and the confrontation that followed condemned the favoritism saying that this was the reason why the youths in Nagaland are indulging in many ‘bad habits.’ The parents who came to witness the recruitment also expressed displeasure at the ‘unjustified rejection.’

After the intervention of the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union and their negotiation with IGP Giri and other police officers, it was decided that the time limit of 12 minutes for the 3 Kilometers distance be extended to 15 minutes. It was also decided that the 120 candidates would be made to run in three or four groups of 40 to 50 runners each and the lady officer would not be allowed during the recruitment. Moreover, the number of posts for ABSI and Havildar post which had not been disclosed to the candidates was also intimated and the whole exercise is reschedule for Tuesday with cancellation of candidates who were selected today