When about 100 young men, all dressed in khaki, took out a march to the District Police Office (DPO) in a sudden move on Tuesday, the police personnel were taken aback.
The young men, who were recently taken in as Youth Brigade members by the State government, had a charter of demands to be redressed.
The concept of Youth Brigade is to primarily assist the Police Department in crime prevention among various other duties in the administration.
According to the brigade members, their demands included issuance of identity cards with which they could travel ‘on duty’ on State-run buses. Likewise, they insisted on getting posted at their native places. For instance, a Youth Brigade member, who is a resident of Oomachikulam, wanted him to be posted in the locality so that he could discharge his duties without any hassle.
After reaching the DPO, the entire team insisted that they be allowed to submit the memorandum to the Superintendent of Police in person.
A senior officer said that some of the grievances were genuine and could be redressed. On an average, the newly recruited Youth Brigade member earned approximately Rs.8,000 per month. When the government issued bus passes, they might be able to save more money.
Requesting anonymity, the young men said they would even forego their jobs, if the government did not heed their demands, which they described “genuine.”
