From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: In THE face of the protests against the new military recruitment ‘Agnipath’ scheme spreading to eight states, the Modi government on Saturday offered more sops to soften anger by announcing 10 per cent reservation for ‘Agniveers’ in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles.
The government appears to be in no mood to relent and is not prepared to take note of opposition’s demand or appeal from other quarters. Following its policy of not bowing to public opinion or protests to protect its strong image in public perception, the Modi government came out with some concessions while remaining adamant on its announced ‘Agnipath’ scheme.
JANTAR MANTAR PROTEST: In a related development, the Congress on Saturday asked the protesters to shun violence and declared that its leaders will sit on a day’s “satyagrah” on Sunday from 11 AM at Jantar Mantar here to press for withdrawal of the scheme/.
While Janata Dal (United), which runs a coalition government with the BJP in Bihar where protests have been on a massive scale, has asked for a relook at the scheme, opposition parties have been demanding its withdrawal or its relaunch after wide consultation with experts and stake holders.
JD (U) spokesman K C Tyagi said that his party was not asking for its withdrawal but a relook at the scheme, given the scale of youth anger.
In a move to counter the opposition demands, BJP national spokesperson Guru Prakash Paswan, hailing from Bihar, was fielded by the ruling party to send a strong message that protests against Agnipath were the result of misinformation. Paswan claimed there have been extensive consultations with former Army officers and servicemen before devising the scheme.
Ruling out its rollback, Paswan said it is a well-thought-out scheme. He told a section of the media that the Centre has raised the age limit now. There are also clear-cut plans about the jobs that 75 per cent Agniveers (recruits) would get after completion of their stint in defence forces. Several states have also come up with assurances about giving priority to Agniveers in state police jobs, he said trying to douse the anger on the streets.
He said such a scheme of 4-year service in the military is going on in Israel for many years without any hitch. A Congress leader dismissed the claim, pointing out that there is no employment problem in Israel alike India as all those serving the military are easily absorbed in jobs.
Massive protests have been reported in Bihar, where an angry mob set fire to dozens of trains, and damaged public properties across several cities and towns, prompting the police to suspend internet services in nearly a third of the state. The vandalism of railway properties have led to losses of over Rs 200 crore in the state alone, according to the Railway officials.
However, the top cop in the state Director General of Policy SK Singhal said that a “perception” was being created that the police has failed to take timely action to control the protests in Bihar, one of the worst-hit by Agnipath protests. Internet services have been suspended in 18 out of 38 districts in the state as the police try to quell public anger on social media.
In the background of intensification of protests against the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday strongly defended the new military recruitment model saying it was rolled out after wide-ranging consultations including with the ex-servicemen and suggested that a “misunderstanding” is being spread for political reasons. The Defence Minister held a high-level meeting with the chiefs of the three Armed Forces at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday afternoon.
There have been reports of protests in the BJP ruled state of Haryana where some youths set a vehicle on fire outside Mahendergarh railway station while a group of over 50 agitators barged inside Ludhiana railway station in Punjab causing damage to property. Protests have also disrupted the train movement in Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs also announced three years’ age relaxation beyond the prescribed upper age limit to Agniveers for recruitment in the two paramilitary forces.
Currently, over 73,000 posts are vacant in five wings of the paramilitary forces – Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Shastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
As many as 73,219 posts are vacant in CAPFs and Assam Rifles, suggests Union Home ministry data. Besides, 18,124 posts are also vacant in police forces in Union Territories. The 10-lakh-strong CAPF is one of the largest employment generating agencies under the home ministry.
The protests against the new short-term military recruitment scheme, Agnipath, has boiled into a major issue for the government with protests now spreading to eight states despite assurances on Friday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Army chief.
