Agnipath Yojana:
The protests against the Agnipath scheme launched by the central government for short term recruitment into the armed forces has spread across the country two days ago. Youth across the are refusing to become ‘Agniveer’ and are demanding that the government should withdraw this scheme, as they do not want a temporary job in the armed forces.
Youth from Bihar, UP, MP, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Haryana are out on the streets. The militant agitators are asking only one question that what will happen to them after four years. Under the guise of this protest, some miscreants are engaged in damaging government property.
Two coaches of a passenger train were torched by a mob in Bihar this morning in protest against Agneepath. Coaches of Jammu Tawi Express train were torched at Mohiuddinnagar station of Hajipur-Barauni railway line.
There have been protests in many parts of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh over the new military recruitment policy. The protest had also spread to Haryana and UP.
This morning, a mob entered a railway station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district and ransacked a train and damaged railway property, before police used force to disperse them.
The Agnipath scheme proposes to recruit soldiers below officer rank on contract for a period of four years, after which there will be compulsory retirement without gratuity and pension benefits for most. The new scheme aims to cut the government’s huge salary and pension bills and free up funds to buy weapons.
The government has increased the age limit for Agneepath recruitment from 21 to 23 as a one-time relaxation after the protests.
The government has also come up with a 10-point defense of the scheme and assured the recruits that they will not find themselves in trouble after completing their four years in the army.
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