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CRPF jawan who lost kin in Sukma Maoist attack speaks out against Rajnath
The video posted by Pankaj Mishra is the latest outburst by the men in uniform against alleged government’s apathy.
A CRPF man vented his bottled-up frustration in a Facebook video, where he ranted against home minister Rajnath Singh after losing a relative in Monday’s Sukma Maoist attack..
The video posted by Pankaj Mishra of the paramilitary force’s 221 battalion stationed at Durgapur in West Bengal is the latest outburst from the men in uniform against the alleged government’s apathy to go viral on social media.
In January BSF trooper Tej Bahadur Yadav’s video went viral on social media wherein he had alleged that they were served bad quality food and at times even forced to go to the bed hungry.
In another video, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) constable Jeet Singh asked why the para-military force personnel are not provided facilities at par with their counterparts from army when they are also performing similar tasks.
Lance Naik Yagya Pratap Singh of the army in yet another video surfaced on social media earlier this year alleged harassment by superiors for writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the problems faced by the soldiers.
Mishra’s relative Abhay Kumar was among the 25 CRPF personnel killed in the Maoist attack.
A native of Bihar’s Shahpur in Ara, about 50 km west of Patna, Mishra told HT over phone on Wednesday, “The entire system is bad. There is nobody to listen to us.”
Undaunted by the likely outcome of his live video, Mishra was critical of the home minister.
“They should not forget that these CRPF jawans provide security to leaders like (BJP president) Amit Shah. Leaders like Rajnath Singh are misleading Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he went on to add, urging the home minister to visit the homes of slain soldiers.
“He should do it if he really wants to sympathise with them. That will be the biggest healing balm,” he said.
Incidentally Mishra had spoken to media persons earlier supporting Tej Bahadur Yadav’s video.
“I request the media to understand our pain,” he said. “Ask jawans what are their problems,” he said and lambasted “defence specialists” who questioned the training programmes of the CRPF.
A graduate from Veer Kunwar Singh University in Ara, Mishra, who joined the CRPF in 2013, is aware of the likely action he may face for his outbursts.
“It is better to die once. It’s a very pathetic scenario. My colleagues also don’t raise their voice. I tell them.. awaaz nahi utha rahe ho na… sab marenge (You people are not raising voice… everybody will die),” he said. “Please understand our pain.”
He said his senior officers should send more forces to Sukma to avenge the killing of soldiers.
In Delhi, a CRPF official, who refused to be named, said: “The CRPF headquarter has asked field formations to ensure no such comment is posted on social media by their personnel. This particular post is also being removed.”
