All you need to know about the radical recruitment plan, Agnipath
Protests against Agnipath, a radical recruitment plan for the military, were intensified today as military competitors blocked rail and road traffic for two consecutive days in some parts of Bihar. Trains burned, rail and road traffic was cut off, bus windows were broken, and passers-by, including the ruling BJP MLA, threw stones at an angry young man demanding a rollback of a new short-term recruitment program.
Violent protests are now widespread in several states across the country. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have also reported violent protests. In the Palwal district of Haryana, telephone, internet and SMS services were suspended 24 hours a day due to rockfall and violence by military cadets. Police had to resort to aerial shooting after the mobs attacked them and set their cars on fire. Due to demonstrations and vandalism at several stations, 22 trains from Bihar had to be cancelled and 5 were stopped after a partial run, the East Central Railroad said.
Baton-wielding protesters broke the glass windows of an intercity express train at Babua Road Station in Bihar and set fire to the carriage. They raised a flag stating “Indian Army enthusiasts” and a slogan against the new recruitment plan. In Nawada, a BJP MLA Aruna Devi’s vehicle heading for the courthouse was attacked by a stirrer that threw stones at the car, injuring five people, including a member of parliament. The Nawada BJP office was also destroyed.
“The demonstrators seemed provoked to see the party flag on my car and tore it. My driver, two guards and two private workers were injured.”, MLA told reporters, adding that he was “too devastated” to submit a police report. At Ala’s station, police had to use tear gas to disperse a large number of protesters who were throwing stones at the police. A photo shows a railroad worker using a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames caused by protesters throwing furniture at a truck and igniting it. In Jahanabad, students threw stones, injuring several people, including police officers, and clearing the tracks they were camping on, obstructing rail traffic.
Dramatic images from the station showed police and protesting students throwing stones at each other. Police also pointed their guns at the protesters to stop them. In Nawada, a group of young men burned tires at public intersections and sloganed for the withdrawal of the roster. They also blocked the railroad tracks at Nawada Station and burned tires on the railroad tracks. Photos from the site show a large crowd damaging railroad assets and cursing Prime Minister Modi. Many can be seen doing push-ups while police are calling for peace through a portable PA system.
The Tour of Duty program, Agnipath, offers to hire Jawans on a four-year contract basis and then, in most cases, reach retirement without bonuses or pension benefits. The new recruitment plan aims to reduce the government’s huge salary and pension invoices and free up funds to raise guns.
In Saharsa, students flocked to the station and threw stones as police tried to drive them out to prevent interruptions in train operations.
Violent mobs were also seen in Chapra, who protested and carried heavy wooden sticks on national roads, breaking buses. 4,444 protests were also reported from several areas of neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Protests broke out yesterday in Muzaffarpur and Buxar, Bihar, and protesters asked what to do four years later. The Agnipath program has a four-year term for approximately 45,000 people between the ages of 17.5 and 21.
During this period, they will be paid a monthly salary and allowance of 30,000 to 40,000 rupees. As well as medical benefits, you are entitled to insurance coverage as well. After four years, only 25% of these soldiers will be retained and will serve in the non-executive rank for 15 years. The rest will leave the service in a package of Rs 110,000 to Rs 120,000 but are not eligible for pension benefits.
Under the old system, young people between the ages of 16.5 and 21 were elected for at least 15 years of service and received a pension at retirement. The new policy elicited criticism and questions from several quarters, including a group of veterans. Critics claim that a four-year tenure weakens the fighting spirit within the ranks and makes them risk-averse.
Among the veterans, Maj. Gen. BS Danoa (retired) tweeted. a. Extend the service period of new employees to at least 7 years b. Hold at least 50 per cent for those who want to serve longer.
The government is under increasing pressure to reconsider its new military recruitment plan, Agnipass, in protests from military candidates with Esca. Including Bihar. The decision is related to national defence and security, so the central government needs to revisit the program immediately. ” Thousands of protesters set fire to trains for two consecutive days in Bihar, blocking rail and road traffic.
A rock was thrown at BJP MLA by an angry protester demanding a rollback of a short-term recruitment program. Nitish Kumar’s party, Janata Dal-United (JDU), and the BJP’s Bihar ally emphasized that the government needs to rethink the Agnipass program.
Even BJP’s leader in Bihar, who asked not to be nominated, wants the protest to convince the centre to take steps to avoid a protracted crisis.
Another party leader, Upendra Kushwaha, also tweeted. “We ask the central government if there is enough opposition to reconsider the program,” Bihar Minister of Bihar, Vigendra Yadav, the senior leader of the JDU, told reporters. Mr Yadav said the government should meet with protesters to address their concerns. For the BJP, it’s almost a repeat of the large-scale peasant protests that lasted almost a year before the government withdrew three controversial farming bills.
Violence broke out on Tuesday after the government announced a review of India’s recruitment of 1.38 million powerful troops to lower the average age of staff and reduce pension spending. Protests have spread to 10 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Hariyana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Delhi. The new system accepts men and women between the ages of 17.5 and 21 for four years, and only one-quarter is retained for a long period. In the past, Army, Navy, and Air Force soldiers were hired separately and served at the lowest rank for up to 17 years.
The BJP was angry when hundreds of potential recruits went out on the streets to protest the shortening of their term.
Two BJP offices were destroyed and two MLAs attacked, causing anxiety and panic in the party’s ranks, sources said. The BJP office in Nawada, Bihar was attacked, and the homes of two major parties, CB Gupta (Chapla) and Aruna Devi (Nawada) were also attacked. In an attempt to alleviate anger, the prime ministers of the three BJP-controlled states promised to work for “Agnivers” or recruits under the new system after a four-year term.
Bihar’s senior BJP leader, Susirmodi, requested the Bihar government to make a similar announcement.
Nitish Kumar and opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav appear to be on the same side again, making BJP even more embarrassed. “How can a country be safe when millions of brave jaws and soldiers are beginning to feel uneasy about the government and its policies? Remember RSS and BJP, you are responsible Every young man in the country has a desire, a passion, and a heart to receive the Param Veil Chakra.
Do not break their spirit by making them Agniburn, “said the leader of RLD. One Tejashwi Yadav tweeted today. The government has launched an awareness campaign. In a series of tweets, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced public facts related to the Agnipath program. A long document entitled “Myths vs. Facts” attempting to “solve misunderstandings” was also shared by government sources. The government also offers 10 points of defence for the program, ensuring that recruits will not be abandoned after completing four years of military service.
edited and proofread by nikita sharma
