Written by Sameer Manekar Thousands of aspirants from nine states and four Union Territories have camped on the city roads to take part in the two-day territorial Army recruitment drive, being conducted by the 101 Infantry Battalion Territorial Army Maratha Light Infantry (MLI). Vying for 96 posts, the aspirants, most of whom came from poor families, braved the cold, hunger and thirst while waiting for over 12 hours in serpentine queues, with tired faces and hopeful eyes for their turn in the physical round. However, with little or no arrangement for the basic amenities, the local gurdwaras have stepped in to provide the aspirants with round-the-clock free food and clothing. “We are arranging food for more than 5,000 people. We are also distributing T-shirts, blankets, diaries, pens among these candidates. Our langars from the community are doing their best in supporting these aspirants in every way possible,” said Raj Singh, member of the Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar in the Cantonment area. Ali Shaikh, 20-year-old aspirant from Tuljapur in Osmanabad district, was grateful to the Sikh community for their help. “Yesterday, we were not aware of the langar. But when today someone informed us about it, we have come here. We had to spend a lot of money on travelling and on food yesterday. But this langar is a blessing for us all.” One of the aspirants, 23-year-old Santosh Pawar from Yavatmal, who is attempting for the fifth time, said: “It is understandable that the Army is not obligated to provide services to the aspirants. But whatever help the gurdwaras are doing, by providing food and clothing, is very important and crucial for us all.” Talking about the condition of aspirants and lack of support, Singh said, “Most of these aspirants come from poor families. They do not have much money in their pockets, no blankets or proper clothes for winters. We are doing our best by providing them food and clothes, but it is not enough. We have so many prominent and rich trusts and organisations. We could all come together and provide these kids all basic facilities.” With the numbers expected to swell on Tuesday, the community anticipated that it would become difficult for them to help all the candidates. So, help from NGOs and other communities have strated pouring in. For instance, the Isha Foundation distributed 4,000 water bottles said Singh. “The ISKCON food relief foundation organised food stalls for the aspirants. But more needs to be done. We are appealing to people and several organisations to contribute in whichever way they can,” said Singh.
