BEFRIENDING TRIBALS: RAYAGADA CRPF SHOWS THE WAY

It has been rightly said building relationship solves scores of issues. This is what CRPF 4th Battalion of Rayagada is exactly striving at.

The relationship score of the Jawans under the leadership of Commandant Balaram Behera has soared and become an eye opener for the tribals living in the interior villages of Rayagada district. The process of confidence building coupled with philanthropic actions has helped the innocent tribals get nearer to the democratic process and development programmes.

In recent civic programmes conducted by the CRPF at Pandratola village of Mukundapur gram panchayat, Anandapur village under Seiskhal gram panchayat and Tembaguda village under Gudari Block, notebooks, pens and pencils were distributed among the school children, while the general public got utensils, water containers and drums.

These three villages are situated amidst deep forest. As Commandant Behera himself is an Odia and has worked in this terrain for a few years, he understands the culture, aspirations and anxieties of the tribals.

Instead of delegating the responsibility to his juniors, he directly interacts with the tribals through a methodology of public hearing and takes their issues to a proper forum at the Government level.  He is complemented by a team of committed Jawans in delivering the responsibility.

The local tribal leaders and the PRI members are also encouraged to speak out without fear. In a shining example, recently Gudari Sarpanch Bilasini Sabar was brave to address a gathering at Tembaguda where Deputy Commandant Kaushal Sadhan Giri, Asst Commandant Anil Kumar, Inspector KK Roy and TR Mishra were present.

As more and more people have come to understand the intricacies of police operations and left wing extremists, drifting towards a violent means has come down drastically in Rayagada; so also human rights violations. On every CRPF Raising Day, their campus goes open for day and night with several cultural extravaganzas. Get into their campus; the Jawans will make you feel at home. There is a small aviary, a vegetable garden, a place specially designed for the pigeons and an aquarium having country fish, etc.

It has created employment by establishing a flour mill and supplying flour at cheaper price. A donation box is kept in the canteen for supporting the cause of orphans, destitute and aged persons. All this is the brainchild of Behera who has gone beyond the traditional police-giri.

CRPF-Rayagada is rebuilding and reaffirming the police-public interface and has shown the way unlike its other companies elsewhere in the State. They have proved that commanding is not by coercion but by winning the hearts. And, of course, philanthropy is a small means towards achieving a noble cause. This has kept everybody’s morale high. Tribals of this hinterland have equally reciprocated.

Source: http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/befriending-tribals-rayagada-crpf-shows-the-way.html