Agnipath Protests In Kolkata Block Railway Traffic

Agnipath protests scheme bring about in parts of West Bengal with army aspirants sloganeering and blocking railway traffic. No escalation reported so far

o Protests against the Center’s new defense services recruitment scheme called ‘Agnipath’ reaches West Bengal where army aspirants carried out rallies and blocked trains in multiple areas.

o Police attested that there have been no reports of any violent incidents such as stone-pelting or arson,

Agnipath Protests in West Bengal

Protests over the Center’s Agnipath tri-service recruitment scheme reached West Bengal on Friday with army aspirants from several districts carrying out rallies, sloganeering, blocking trains and demanding immediate withdrawal of the scheme.

The protesters first assembled at Siliguri and then began marching towards Sevoke Road. In north Bengal’s Siliguri, the second most integral city in the state after Kolkata, about 100 youths from several districts carried out a rally at the Venus crossing in the heart of the city to denounce the Centre’s move. They set fire to tires in the middle of the road prompting police to swing into action.

The situation was, however, soon brought under control and no one was arrested, said police. The protesters’ demand was that the army should recruit them by following old norms, asking what happens once they serve the nation for four years under the new recruitment scheme as there is no guarantee of a permanent career under the new scheme.

According to East Central Railway officials, they canceled nine trains and short-terminated nine others due to the blockage, trying to ensure the safety of all.

They reported that railway lines were blocked from around 8 am till 9:15 am while services were disrupted in the Sealdah Bongaon section. They suggested the possibility of more trains getting canceled due to the ongoing protest.

Protests were also reported from Howrah where youths tried to block the Howrah Bridge. Meanwhile, at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district, protesters blocked railway tracks for about an hour, disrupting train service in Sealdah in the Bongan section from 8 am to 10 am.

A section of protesters tried to invade the New Jalpaiguri station near Siliguri; the police, however, were able to stop them and persuaded them to return. In Purulia district, the police had to resort to lathi-charging to disperse protestors who had blocked Barakar Road. Some protesters also staged a protest outside the house of the Union Minister of State for Ports and Shipping Shantanu Thakur in Thakurnagar.

Protests near CM’s residence

On Saturday, police clashed with members of the All India Democratic Youth Organization (AIDYO) and All India Democratic Students Organization (AIDSO) after they tried to block roads protesting against the Center’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme in the southern part of the city’s Hazra area, which is very close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence.

Protesting the policy, the army aspirants demanded that those being recruited into India’s armed forces be given permanent jobs rather than be taken in under the “Agnipath” scheme which only employs a soldier on a contract of four years and seemingly doesn’t provide much security for pension or future employment.

A large police force went forward to clear the area, arresting over 20 activists to prevent any further escalation claiming that they will not allow anyone to disturb the law and order, vowing to deal with untoward incidents very strictly, the police officer commanding the deployment asserted.

All police stations in the city and the districts of West Bengal have been on high alert and have been asked to keep a vigil on areas under their jurisdiction to avoid any untoward incident.

The Center on Tuesday unveiled the Agnipath scheme for the recruitment in the Army, Navy and the Air Force, in a major overhaul of the decades-old selection process, drawing criticism from several sectors, including veterans and army aspirants.