Port Blair, Oct 2 (PTI) Altogether 501 home guard volunteers, including eight belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and 132 from the local Nicobari tribe, have completed their basic training and formally joined the Andaman and Nicobar Police, DGP Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal said on Thursday.
This was the largest-ever recruitment and successful training of those belonging to the Nicobari tribe and PVTGs, in recent years in the archipelago, he said.
Speaking to PTI, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands DGP said, “I would like to congratulate all the candidates from PVTGs and the Nicobari tribe, who successfully secured their positions. I would like to advise them to serve society with sincerity, discipline, and dedication.” The final selection ensured inclusive representation, bringing in 132 candidates from the local Nicobari tribe, five from the Onges, three from the Great Andamanese, and 137 ex-home guard volunteers who were re-enrolled in recognition of their experience, Dhaliwal said.
"Notably, 134 women candidates, forming 24.72 per cent of the batch, were selected, strengthening gender representation,” he said.
People from the Onge tribe, with a total population of 136, are confined to Dugong Creek and are not considered "uncontacted" like the Sentinelese who live in North Sentinel Island.
"They (Onge tribe) are semi-nomadic and used to be fully dependent on hunting and gathering for food, but now the local administration provides them rations and clothes," an official said.
People belonging to the Great Andamanese tribe are primarily confined to Strait Island, and their current population is only about 58.
When contacted, one of the selected Onge candidates from Dugong Creek, Tibilachu said, “I don’t have words to express my gratitude to the Andaman police. It was a tough journey for me, but I am happy to clear all the tests.” A female candidate Kelu, from the Strait Island, expressed her desire to learn special combat skills in the coming months.
All the recruits underwent one-month training from September 1, which included both outdoor and indoor sessions.
Their training covered physical tests, drill, weapon handling, fire-fighting, traffic and crowd control, flood relief and rescue, patrolling, and guard duties, a senior official said.
They also received classroom lessons on the new criminal laws, disaster management, gender sensitisation, traffic rules, civil defence, and other subjects vital for their role, he said.
The passing out parade was held simultaneously in all three districts of the archipelago on Wednesday.
This enrolment, conducted after a gap of about five years, has been one of the major achievements of Andaman and Nicobar Police, another officer said.
The drive successfully filled up the long-pending vacancies through a transparent and merit-based process, which witnessed an unprecedented response with 10,359 applications, he said.
The gradual integration is also noticed among those belonging to other PVTGs, such as Shompens and Jarawas (Ang), who live in their respective reserved dense forests where entry of non-tribals is barred. PTI SN SN BDC