The ongoing Territorial Army (TA) recruitment rally at Belagavi’s Rashtriya Military Ground, scheduled to continue until November 16, 2024, has exposed serious lapses in planning and crowd management, sparking frustration and disappointment among thousands of eager applicants. Thousands of applicants from Telangana, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and the Union Territories of Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli arrived with high aspirations to serve the nation. Yet, the rally’s chaotic organization has left many questioning if this is how we treat the future saviors of our country.
The massive turnout, with over 30,000 + youths from 16 districts including Belagavi, Bagalkote, and Dharwad, mostly from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, has been met with woefully inadequate support. Many of these young men and women have scraped together funds and traveled long distances to reach Belagavi, arriving with very limited resources for food and accommodation. Despite their sacrifices, the poor planning has led to severe overcrowding, culminating in a stampede outside the Belagavi CPeD Ground. To control the crowd, police resorted to wielding lathis, with some instances of forceful dispersal, only adding to the frustration of these hopefuls who came with dreams of serving their country.
Despite these aggressive crowd control measures, the gathering remained disorganized until army and police personnel eventually managed to line up participants. Initially, applicants were made to undergo their height tests on Club Road before being directed to the National Military School ground for further physical tests. This haphazard process has raised serious concerns about the rally’s management, leaving many young applicants exhausted and dispirited.
Given the scale and significance of this event, the Army must coordinate with the district administration and NGOs to provide essential facilities such as food and shelter for these aspirants. Many of these candidates are from financially vulnerable backgrounds, and a collaborative effort is urgently needed to ensure their well-being. This recruitment rally, meant to inspire pride in military service, has instead left these young patriots feeling let down by the very system they wish to defend.
Uday ji very well written. No country for the poor. No one cares for them
I am witness to this.. And the plight of the aspirants is nowhere close to basic needs/ comfort.
Don’t know if the interview tests are for a week.. Or are they called in phases…. Definitely needs a better solution.
Everytime I drive past in the camp area from kalyani sweets all the way upto hindalga temple,the poor souls are just sleeping under the trees, pavements, foothpath,it’s a terrible way to treat the you g aspirants,hope this will change
Uday ji, why hasn’t there been any news published about the recent incident of young Rudranna Yadavannavar’s suicide at the Tahsildar’s office? I found it covered on the Indian Express website, yet All About Belgaum seems silent, especially when political figures are involved. Such bias doesn’t align with journalistic ethics. It’s disappointing.
If u follow our social media handles we have posted it there