Akhnoor (Jammu), March 27
It's not only the aspiring candidates who keep officials on their toes at defence recruitment rallies in Jammu & Kashmir. "Stone missiles" raise a major safety concern. Recruiting officials wear helmets and keep the protective gear ready to shield themselves at such events.

A BSF recruitment rally in Akhnoor today saw officials ducking for cover as the unruly youth rained stones on them.

"This is Jammu and Kashmir. The recruitment rallies here are like this," says an officer, as he ran for cover. A constable nearby manages to avoid a "missile" even as another officer continues announcing the names of the youth to come up for the scrutiny of documents. In between, repeated requests are made to maintain calm.

Even the youth whose names have been announced run towards the officers covering their heads with the bags containing their documents.

In another corner, a group of policemen loses patience and charges at the mob. The youth run helter skelter while the officer on the public address system keeps calling names and in between directs the policemen to "just control the mob and not hit anyone". Two stones narrowly miss The Tribune team seated along the officers in the makeshift tent, where 10 men face a 8000 strong mob.

One of the jawans shows the injury suffered by him when a stone hit him yesterday. He is back on duty and is more alert this time. 

In between, there are moments when the mob mellows down, but only to go out of control again.

The BSF had to recently cancel a recruitment rally at Rajouri. The reason: Lack of police security.

"Everyone wants employment. But the posts are limited and the process takes time. We understand their impatience, but they will have to wait," a BSF officer says. "They (the youth) have come from far-off places. We don't take harsh action against them," he adds.

Commandant Yogesh Kumar, presiding officer of the recruitment, says the aim behind organising such rallies is to provide employment opportunities to the youth of the state. "There is age and height relaxation for candidates as per the geographic constraints," he adds.

As regards the massive response, he says the starting salary will be over Rs 15,000 per month. "This is an attractive sum besides the glory of protecting the motherland," he adds.

A group of candidates returning disappointed after the rejection of their forms say some unruly youth throw stones in frustration, "We stop them as this harms all of us. But when the security forces resort to lathicharge or shout at us, more youth lose patience."