Violent protests broke out in Bihar over the Centre’s new “Agnipath” scheme. Protesters tear gassed
o The, government’s new recruitment plan “Agnipath” for the army draws ire.
o Aspirants in several parts of Bihar block rail and road traffic, indulging in stone-pelting in protest, causing police to resort to tear gas shelling to subdue the crowd.
Protests in Bihar
Parts of Bihar are seeing protesters rising against the Agnipath scheme, sloganeering and holding up banners saying “Indian Army lovers” rejecting the new army recruitment scheme.
The protests, mainly army aspirants, have reportedly turned violent as protesters block rail and road traffic for the second day in a row, wielding lathis and breaking the glass windows of the express train at Bhabhua Road railway station, setting a coach on fire.
After a huge crowd of protestors began pelting stones at Arrah railway station, throwing furniture on the tracks and setting them on fire, police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse them while the railway staff used fire extinguishers to put out the fire on the tracks.
Meanwhile, in Jehanabad, students indulged in stone-pelting near the railway tracks where they had gathered to protest. They injured several people, including cops who threatened them with guns to disperse them to clear the railway tracks.
Similarly, in Saharsa, police tried to chase away students who were disrupting rail traffic and pelting stones. Chapra also saw its share of violence as protesters carried heavy wooden sticks, smashing state roadways buses in protest.
In Nawada, protesters burnt tyres at a public crossing, raising slogans demanding the removal of the tour of duty scheme. They also blocked railway tracks, burning tyres on them to disrupt rail traffic at the Nawada station, Captured videos from the spot show the unruly mob vandalising railway property and shouting expletives at PM Modi.
The police can be seen addressing the crowd to calm down over a handheld public address system while some protesters can be seen performing pushups.
Protests have also broken out in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur and Buxar, with the protesters asking what they will do after the insufficient 4 years of service that the policy offers.
Aside from Bihar, protests have reportedly cropped up in several parts of the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh as well.
What is the Agni scheme?
Under the Agnipath scheme, about 45,000 people between the ages of 17.5 and 21 will be inducted into the services for a four-year tenure.
Agnipath, a tour of duty scheme, lays down the grounds for the recruitment of young soldiers on the basis of a contract for a 4-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity or pension benefits.
The new recruitment plan is aimed at cutting down on the government’s massive salary and pension bills, freeing up funds for arms procurement.
It is stipulated that during this period, the jawans will be paid a monthly salary ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 plus allowances. They will also be afforded medical and insurance benefits, and after 4 years, 25 per cent of these jawans will be retained to then go on and serve for a full 15 years in non-officer ranks.
The remaining are to retire from their services with a package ranging from Rs 11 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, but without being eligible for pension benefits.
Why is it being criticised?
The new policy has drawn ire from several groups, including veterans who are questioning the grounds of the policy. Meanwhile, critics are arguing that a 4-year tenure will affect the morale of the soldiers and make them wary.
Among those criticising the move, Major General BS Dhanoa (retd) tweeted, “Two serious recommendations for the just-announced recruitment policy for the armed forces: first is to increase the service period of new recruits to a minimum of seven years; and, second, to make the retention of those keen to serve longer at least 50 per cent.”
