The recently announced ‘ Agnipath’ – Tour of Duty, has irked unpleasantness, opposition and even riots across the nation.
Hiring country’s security forces on a contractual basis not only raises insecurities among the new recruits , but it would also cause frustration among the existing personnel.
As the name ” Agni ” suggests fire, many parts of the country is witnessing incidents of arson. Trains have been burnt and rioters have set many other vehicles on fire. The major reason for so much opposition for Agnipath is the fact that people recruited on contractual basis will be trained and employed for just 4 years in 3 of our forces.
Many among the youth are voicing their concerns citing that recruitment of contractual security personnel in large numbers in the Navy, Airforce and the military would squash their dreams of serving the country.
The riots that started in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Telungana ,Rajasthan and Delhi has started to seep into TN now. None can belittle the concerns such as no guaranteed employment after 4 years and no pension once the contractual period is over.
Would a mere 4 year contractual position in the Army satisfy the passion of those who have been training since childhood to enrol in our security forces?
Increasing the age stipulation by 2 years, (21 to 23 ) , employment in paramilitary forces and Central Security Forces are looked at as empty assurances with a hidden agenda.
What is the feasibility of handing over the noble duty of guarding our borders , with no fear but much probability of losing their lives, to contractual personnel?
The Central government, which has no hesitation whatsoever in offering or spending huge monetary resources on corporates, suddenly realises the need to be thrifty when it comes to our security forces.
Agnipath comes as a huge deterrent factor for not only those who have been training since their childhood to serve the country , but also for those who are already in service.
Many Retired high officials of the Indian army have expressed their concerns and recorded their opposition quite openly. These officials are obviously seeing through the project and are worried about the future of the temporary recruits.
There are crores and crores of unemployed youngsters in our country. While it is the primary responsibility of the Central government to ensure employment, such schemes without a long term vision and narrow framework would be of no concrete solution. Hence, the Centre must revoke Agnipath.
