CPI, AIYF demand revocation of Agnipath scheme
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 18 2022: While terming 'Agnipath recruitment scheme' as an attempt to spoil and shorten career of millions of emerging youth of the country, CPI Manipur state council secretary L Sotinkumar has said that government should revoke the decision to imple ment scheme before the country bums.

Addressing media persons at Irawat Bhawan Saturday, Sotinkumar said 'Agnipath recruitment scheme' being proposed and about to be implemented by BJP government for entry into defence forces of the country like army, navy and air force cannot be applicable.

The scheme is part of BJP government's neo-liberal economic policy and to speed up privatisation process, he said.

India is facing a big unemployment issue and Manipur too is enduring the same problem and hence scores of youth are in race to join defence forces.

Amidst this situation, BJP government proposed to introduce Agnipath scheme for recruitment into defence forces with only four years contractual service.

Under the scheme, age limit for entry into defence forces has been fixed between 17 to 21 years and there is no provision for providing pension.

The scheme aims to recruit 46,000 soldiers every year for four years contractual service and 25 per cent of the recruited cadres will be promoted into regular service while the remaining 75 per cent will be removed.

This indeed is an attempt to spoil career of emerging youth of the country, Sotinkumar said and demanded immediate revocation of the scheme.

When BJP came to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that government will provide jobs to 2 crore youths of the country every year.

However, there has been no sign of translating BJP government's promise into action till date and the government is rather giving priority to privatisation, he said and cited this as one main reason for failure of most of the Bills brought out by BJP government.

According to Sotinkumar, the demonetisation policy of BJP government to bring back black money stashed abroad did not yield any success and the same is the case for 'Niti Aayog' after abolishing the then planning commission.

Three farms Bills introduced by the present government had to be withdrawn after farmers rejected and the protest against Agnipath scheme is gaining momentum across the country particularly in non-BJP ruled states, he said and strongly called for withdrawing the scheme before the country bums.

Meanwhile, All India Youth Federation (AIYF), Manipur state council also demanded immediate revocation of Agnipath recruitment scheme while alleging that the scheme will not only give severe impact to unemployed youth of the country but will also end up their future abruptly.

According to AIYF, Manipur state council secretary Kh Himalay, millions of unemployed youths of the country would not be able to get benefits of the scheme due to short age limit set for the recruitment into defence forces under the scheme.

The scheme also has anti-soldier character as only 25 per cent of those recruited under Agnipath scheme will be commissioned to regular cadre and there is no pension benefit for those left out after four years of service.

He also said that AIYF Manipur unit is ready to launch different forms of agitation if the government fails to find a solution to the contentious scheme.

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