Condemning the NDA Government’s recent decision to implement ‘Agnipath’ scheme in the Indian Army as a “retrogressive step”, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday asked the BJP-led Union Government to immediately roll back its decision in the larger interest of the country and its youth.
“After agriculture (kisaani), it is a serious attack on the youth (jawani) which is unwarranted and undesirable. It is a huge loss for Punjabi youth who are ever ready to serve their motherland by joining the Army,” said the Chief Minister while condemning the move.
The Chief Minister said that it reflects the sorry state of affairs in the country as the party in power is recklessly running the country without bothering about its youth. “This mindless decision has put the country on boil as the youth of the country have came on roads to protest against Centre’s this irresponsible move,” said Mann adding that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) vehemently opposes this move which deprives the youth of the opportunity to serve the country throughout the life and rendering them useless after service of mere four years.
“It is unfortunate that the Union Government has not employed even a single youth in the Army during last two years. Now, through this ‘Agnipath’ move, the Centre is allowing the youth to serve the Army merely for four years and that too without pension,” said Mann adding that this is sheer humiliation of the Indian Army which has a glorious heritage of serving the country with valour, sacrifice, and selfless service.
The Chief Minister said that the Union Government has backstabbed the country’s youth through this move. “Anger prevailing amongst the youth is the result of Centre’s this senseless move,” he said.
Mann impressed upon the Union Government to immediately roll back this decision in the larger interest of the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of the county.
Meanwhile, AAP’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang dubbed the decision as treachery to the youth of India, while demanding its immediate roll back. He said that the Agnipath scheme is against national interest and it has led to violent agitations across the country.
“There must not be any vested interest of the government to ensure that the spirit of patriotism of army officials and countrymen remains intact. Due to Centre’s this cavalier attitude, the country’s youth have come on roads to protest against this irresponsible move of the Centre,” he said.
Lashing out at the BJP government, AAP chief spokesperson said that over two lakh vacancies are vacant in the army and the recruitment process should be started at once.
Kang said that a special session of Parliament or an all-party meeting should be called to discuss the whole matter related to defence before implementing any such schemes in the future.
PROTEST AGAINST AGNIPATH IN SANGRUR
The protests erupted in other parts of the country against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme has reached Punjab too. The youngsters, most of them who have been preparing for Army recruitment, on Friday came out on streets in Sangrur to express their anger against the BJP-led Central Government’s new army recruitment scheme. The youngsters demanded the immediate revocation of the scheme, while warning the Centre of initiating the ‘kisan andolan’–like agitation.
The youngsters, carrying tricolour flags, held a massive protest on streets in Sangrur — the Chief Minister’s home city. The protesting youth maintained that they do not approve of this four-year recruitment formula, and the Central Government should do the regular recruitment like before. They warned the Central Government to immediately withdraw the decision, otherwise “we will go to Delhi and set up a pucca morcha “permanent protest). Just as the three farm laws were opposed by holding year-long farmers’ agitation, Punjab will once again agitate against the Centre”.
The protesting youth maintained that they have been preparing to join the armed forces since two years. “During this time, no recruitment was done in the Army. Because of COVID, the examination was not conducted. Many of us have passed the physical and medical tests. And now, the exam has been cancelled. And a new scheme has been introduced in the name of Agnipath and Agniveer,” said a protesting youth. One of the protesting youth asked where they will go after four-years in the Army. “We will have the option of serving as security guard with some private corporate company. Otherwise, the youth, who have proper training to use the weapons, can also go on the wrong path. He may become a trained gangster. And if they don’t do these two jobs, they will continue to roam around as unemployed,” he said.
PUNJAB CONGRESS EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH PROTESTING YOUTH
Expressing his party’s solidarity with the protesting youth who are opposing the new recruitment policy in the defence forces, Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Friday urged the Union Government to reconsider the move “as there is no point in announcing a policy that alienates the same people for whom it is meant to be”.
Appealing to the protesting youth to maintain peace, Warring said that they had every right to peacefully resist and protest against the new policy that will affect Punjab the worst.
“Punjabis join the defence forces with a sense of pride and they give everything for their country”, he said, while adding, “Just putting them in the line of duty for four years and then throwing them out without any pension or other benefits is unfair, unjustified and unacceptable”.
Punjab Congress chief said that this was quite an “ill-conceived” and “ill-advised” decision on part of the Government of India and has been apparently taken without studying the issue threadbare.
“The decision concerns the defence of the country and such issues should have been touched and dealt with more sensitively,” Warring observed, while asking the Central Government to reconsider the policy without any delay and loss of life and property.
