Monday Musing
[Amar Sangno]
The revelation by Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa that some youths have reportedly been recruited into the self-styled outlaw organisation United Tani Army (UTA) by an alleged recruiter, one Tana Hasi, is alarming news for the entire state and indeed has left everyone shocked.
The IGP claimed that Hasi was in direct contact with senior members of the UTA and Naga insurgent groups and acted as a link between the group and vulnerable youths in the state. It is yet to be confirmed exactly how many youths have been lured into joining the UTA. It was more shocking to know that recruitment was done through social media platforms.
Whether or not the youths who have reportedly been recruited or lured into joining the UTA are genuinely deprived or ideologically oriented for a cause, or whether they are just a bunch of misled young individuals who do not have a purpose in life is a subject of speculation.
It is well understood that waging a war and taking up arms against the state is a seditious act in any established state or nation. To resolve disagreements, deprivation and injustice, there is a democratic means.
Once known as an ‘island of peace’, the sobriquet for Arunachal has somewhat worn down with this news of youths being lured into joining an outlaw organisation.
If we ruminate and ponder on the factors attributing to this new development in the island of peace, there are many possible aspects which we cannot rule out. According to a former bureaucrat who spent his service life in Arunachal, there are certain factors which might compel youths to be lured into such groups.
On condition of anonymity, he said, “Firstly, the aspirational factor and socioeconomic dichotomy: Every individual, be they educated or illiterate, aspires for a better life. In a tribal society, equity and brotherhood are the cornerstone to bind the society together. However, if the rich become richer and the poor become poorer, it breaks the tribal fraternity and creates division.”
He further observed that the vulgar display of wealth by some of the elites (government officers, politicians, businessmen, and student leaders) in Arunachal, who pompously display their wealth, cause heartburn among the aspiring youths, who desire to acquire the same wealth and luxury in their lives.
The third reason, he added, can be attributed to lack of employability due to the decayed education system, which frustrates the youths who cannot compete with others.
Fourth, he said, is the factor of fairness in granting government contracts and supply works. “The centralisation of government contract and supply works through local MLAs or the minister and officer concerned is one of the reasons why the youths feel deprived and frustrated.”
He pointed out that majority of the government officers, especially in the works departments, are “shadow contractors.”
“Nowadays, officers are either directly involved in government contract works or indirectly benefit by colluding with chosen contractors. Once the officers have self-interest in any work, there is no chance of fairness and impartiality,” he added.
Fifth, he said, there is the lack of transparency and fairness in distributing government beneficiary schemes, which causes deprivation among the genuine unemployed youths.
Sixth, he said, is the acceptance and acknowledgement of known criminals in social and political spheres. The youngsters see the acceptance as adulation of illegal activities by known criminals, and inaction from the authorities against such individuals reinforce their perception, and hence they subconsciously gyrate toward such illegal acts.
“The corrupt system, especially in recruitment – unlike yesteryears, these days there is a huge number of youths sacrificing their prime age in preparation for civil services or to get government jobs. The way the recruitment agencies and departments posture only angers the youths. It tests the patience of a person,” said Banta Natung, an aspiring youth.
Natung suggested that the government should focus on regular recruitment into various departments by the APPSC, and should create an entrepreneurship ecosystem.
“The government should create a single window for entry of entrepreneurs for registration/empanelment in the government departments. Many don’t even attempt it due to red tape in the departments,” he claimed.
However, a bureaucrat in Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s office countered that the streamlining of recruitment policy and elimination of corruption by taking stern action against corrupt employees were aggressively taken up, in letter and spirit, only after 2016.
He nullified the argument that youths are lured into joining outlawed groups due to frustration and deprivation created by the current government. Instead, he said, the incident of youths joining the UTA is not a reflection of the popular youths’ voice but an isolated case that the police have rightly addressed by nipping it in the bud.
“The people piloting this are not representing any clan as they claim to represent. It is a ‘startup’ to mislead vulnerable youths and engage in extortion,” he added.
He also proclaimed that the current government is aggressively pushing to overhaul the education system to ensure that the youths could be skilled enough to sit for any competitive exam.
“Jobs should not be mean only government jobs; our youths should be employable in any job, even outside the state,” he put it.
Galo Welfare Society (GWS) general secretary Nyadar Loya had a similar view. “The GWS does not support any kind of antinational activities. If any serious injustice is done by the state government, then there is always a democratic means to sort out the problem,” said Loya.
Creating employment opportunities by making the agriculture, horticulture and tourism sectors vibrant, and facilitating the youths in becoming progressive entrepreneurs could mellow down the level of frustration among the youths.
Fairness and transparency in distribution of government beneficiary schemes by maintaining utmost efficiency would give hope to the youths to become entrepreneurs. The youths should also be encouraged by promoting educational, sports and cultural activities for them to channel their energy positively. Two of the remedies in making the youths inclusive are fairness and transparency in government job interviews and granting government contracts and supply works.
It is important to note that the Chief Minister Pema Khandu-led government has declared 2024-25 as the ‘Year of the Youth’, dedicating half of the state’s budget to youth-centric schemes and projects. However, a pressing question remains: how effectively will these policies and schemes be implemented on the ground, and how can misguided youths be guided back into the path of mainstream growth and development?
