On Thursday, violent protests against the new armed forces recruiting system drew people from Bihar to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, as well as areas of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and even the national capital Delhi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three military chiefs announced the ‘Agnipath’ scheme on Tuesday. Armed services recruits can serve for four years before being forced to retire for 75 percent of their pay – without gratuity or pension benefits in most situations.
Armed services aspirants around the country have protested the new system, with opposition figures such as Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, and Arvind Kejriwal speaking out against it. However, the administration has defended the new program, claiming that it was put in place after two years of intensive consultations with serving military leaders.
The most recent protests were recorded in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, with images showing the Birlanagar train station being ransacked. Trash cans were lit on fire and put on railway tracks, and several train windows were shattered. The station master’s chamber was also plundered in one footage, with those in the film stating that demonstrators had smashed the control system and that repairs were being made.
The Delhi-Mumbai route has been entirely disrupted as a result of the ransacking of railway stations, with North Central Railways reporting that seven trains have been interrupted thus far.
An enraged crowd set a train on fire in Chhapra, Bihar’s Saran district, earlier today. Protesters in Bhabhua, India’s eastern state, set fire to an intercity express bus and damaged the windows.
Other areas of Bihar where violence has been recorded include Gaya, Munger, Siwan, Buxar, and Bhagalpur. As protestors resorted to picketing and blocking roads across Bihar, stone-pelting was reported from Ara railway station.
Earlier today, a 21-year-old army aspirant from Haryana’s Jind area allegedly committed suicide. His father, a retired army officer, stated that his son aspired to join the military. He said that his son had previously passed the army’s physical and written tests but fell short of the cut-off. A case has been filed under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
After receiving approval from the Union cabinet committee on security, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the ‘Agnipath’ recruiting scheme on Tuesday (June 14). Under the strategy, Indians between the ages of 17 and 21 will be recruited into the armed forces for only four years, with a provision for 25% of them to be retained after the four years are up. After another round of screening, those who are kept will be enrolled into the regular cadre for another 15 years. Some veterans have criticized the program, claiming that its drawbacks will outweigh its benefits.
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