Violent Protests Erupt Against Agnipath(new Indian Army recruitment scheme, 30k salary for 4 years), BJP's Varun Gandhi Says 'More Disaffection Likely

[Drizzt]

The MP's letter, which echoes Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's concerns, comes at a time when protests are being seen across the country against the scheme. Several veterans have raised concerns about the feasibility of recruiting temporary soldiers too.

BJP MP Varun Gandhi. In the background are protesters blocking a railway track in protest against the Agnipath scheme. Photos: PTI

New Delhi: As pros and cons of Agnipath – the Union government’s new plan to recruit temporary soldiers in the armed forces – are being debated and violent protests take place in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi has weighed in with his criticisms of the scheme.

In a letter to the defence minister Rajnath Singh, the maverick MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit said that the recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis will not merely create disaffection among the youth but also burden the defence budget disproportionately, given the evidently restricted gains for the armed forces through the scheme.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1537291459224911872

He expressed concern about the possibility of rising unemployment every year, since the scheme proposes to retire 75% of recruits after a period of four years without pension. This may lead to “more disaffection” among the youth, he said.

He said that he was writing to the defence minister since a number of youth have expressed their anguish over the scheme on social media.


Pointing out that the corporate sector has shown very little interest in recruiting even regular military personnel who retire from the armed forces after 15 years, Gandhi said that in such a situation, the possibility of the private sector recruiting those who serve in the forces only for four years is negligible.

Gandhi said that the four-year employment plan may additionally disrupt the regular cycle of education for new recruits. The temporary service in the armed forces may set the recruits back against their contemporaries, he said, adding that the recruits will find it difficult to get another job as they will be older to others with better qualifications.

Additionally, he said that the six-month training programme may prove to be an “unnecessary burden on the defence budget”, given the fact that only 25% of the new recruits will be retained after four years. He added that the existing regiments will also find it difficult to give proper duties to those soldiers who they know will retire in four years, thus hampering the working of the forces.

He said that while the government should focus on unemployed youth, it should immediately bring out details of the scheme and clarify its position on issues that are being raised about it at the moment.


Gandhi’s letter has come at a time when a large number of youths, especially in Bihar, have been protesting across the country against the scheme. Some of these protests have turned violent as well, with a train having been set on fire in Bihar’s Bhabua on June 16.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1537351312408719361

Several veterans have raised concerns about the feasibility of recruiting temporary soldiers.

The BJP MP echoes cousin and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s views on Agnipath. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi tweeted to say that the new recruitment plan does not dignify the new recruits with either good pay or tenure, and nor does it guarantee a secure future for them.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1537346768416800769

A day ago, Varun Gandhi, who has frequently taken a divergent view from his party on different issues, had said that even the government is elected for five years and asked, “Why are the youth being given only four years to serve the nation?”

He had also shared the remuneration scale for temporary soldiers recruited through the Agnipath scheme, and asked his followers to give their opinion about the same.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1536982742491369473

https://twitter.com/x/status/1536929750727282688

He also reminded the Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his promise of providing two crore jobs every years, and appealed to him to work with greater speed to achieve the goal.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1536568811662372864

 

[Drizzt]

 

[jamahir]

@Sudarshan @Surya 1, can you tell me if the houses, shops and pushcarts of these train burners and rioters will be bulldozed by Godi Government JCBs the same way that Muslim properties and ownings have been bulldozed by the JCBs whose factory in Vibrant Gujarat was visited by Priti-Patel-led British government's agent Boris Johnson ?

@Drizzt

 

[Drizzt]

@Sudarshan @Surya 1, can you tell me if the houses, shops and commercial pushcarts of these train burners and rioters be bulldozed by Godi Government JCBs the same way that Muslim properties and ownings have been bulldozed by the JCBs whose factory in Vibrant Gujarat was visited by Priti-Patel-led British government's agent Boris Johnson ?

@Drizzt

No, their homes won't be bulldozed, BJP only does these selectively to harass minority. BJP plays very dirty politics.

Also, these is happening in Bihar mostly, which is not a BJP ruled state, BJP is only in coalition.

 

[313ghazi]

Are they mad? A 4 year contract in the army? What purpose does it serve the armed forces?

 

[Azadkashmir]

trained then retired early with no pay then they will say its the muslims fault.

 

[Drizzt]

Are they mad? A 4 year contract in the army? What purpose does it serve the armed forces?

TECHNOLOGY PERSPECTIVE AND CAPABILITY ROADMAP (TPCR)
https://www.mod.gov.in/sites/default/files/TPCR13.pdf

Transformation of the Indian Army in the New World Order
https://media.neliti.com/media/publ...mation-of-the-indian-army-in-the-3274bfff.pdf

Is India planning to shrink its army?​

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61024209

 

[jamahir]

No, their homes won't be bulldozed, BJP only does these selectively to harass minority. BJP plays very dirty politics.

Absolutely !

Also, these is happening in Bihar mostly, which is not a BJP ruled state, BJP is only in coalition.

Sure but not a squeak from Godi Media too about "Pre-planned riots" and all, let alone statements from the central government.

Sad event this was though I have reservations about the idol of Hazrat Isa and others ( I am against idolatry ). But some comments were interesting :

Kumar Narayana 10 months ago​

First they came for the 'other religion', and I did not speak out— Because I was not the 'other religion'.

Then they came for the 'other culture', and I did not speak out— Because I was not the 'other culture'.

Then they came for the 'other belief', and I did not speak out— Because I was not the 'other belief'.

Then they came for 'me'—and there was no one left to speak for 'me' !

John Thomas 10 months ago​

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Ami 10 months ago​

First they came out for Muslims, and I didn't speak out - because it's not my religion.

Then they came for lower caste, and I didn't speak out - because I'm upper caste.

Then they came out for youth, and I don't speak out - because I'm out of that age.

Then they came out for farmers, and I didn't speak out - because it's not my profession.

Then they came out poor, and and I didn't speak out - because i got job.

Then they came out for me and no one left behind me.

These church people in Delhi are among the same Kerala Church people who in 2009 started the rumor called Love Jihad which the Hindutvadis picked up. No, not rumor but an oppression against Christian and Hindu females to do with their life as they see fit. Now these Malayali Church people will be regretting that association with the bhagwa'kind. But this also applies to the Indian Muslims too whose "Ameer-ul-Momineen" Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi saheb refused to exhort Indian Muslims to join the 2020-21 farmers protest in which 700 farmers died in Delhi so there will be some residual reluctance in non-Muslims and among progressive Muslims too from taking up cases of those Muslim youth who have been picked up by saffronized police in various places in the country.

 

[Drizzt]

Absolutely !



Sure but not a squeak from Godi Media too about "Pre-planned riots" and all, let alone statements from the central government.



Sad event this was though I have reservations about the idol of Hazrat Isa and others ( I am against idolatry ). But some comments were interesting :

These church people in Delhi are among the same Kerala Church people who in 2009 started the rumor called Love Jihad which the Hindutvadis picked up. No, not rumor but an oppression against Christian and Hindu females to do with their life as they see fit. Now these Malayali Church people will be regretting that association with the bhagwa'kind. But this also applies to the Indian Muslims too who whose "Ameer-ul-Momineen" Barrister Asaduddin Owaisi saheb refused to exhort Indian Muslims to join the 2020-21 farmers protest in which 700 farmers died in Delhi so there will be some residual reluctance in non-Muslims and among progressive Muslims too from taking up cases of those Muslim youth who have been picked up by saffronized police in various places in the country.

BJP also destroyed this Ravidas temple of Dalits in Delhi in a treacherous way, in the middle of the night.

We should not expect Godi media to do justice, they get advertisement from government and BJP backed corporates. Independent media is the only solution.

I found that most of the semi-idolators in Christian community are Catholics branch and its offshoots, They also venerate(word used by them instead of worship) Mariyam and other saints. Their churches are very materialistic. like the ones near my home.

While Protestant branch are more monotheistic, churches are simpler, sometimes only a cross on the altar. Schism is somewhat similar to Shia - Sunni.
some Catholic sects do self-flagellation, to remind themselves of the suffering of Christ.

and exorcism(jhaad phoook) to drive away evil spirits, do magic tricks and claim to be miracles to fool simple flocks.

Less known fact about American Civil war, was that it was a ideological war between Protestant North and Catholic South. Abraham Lincoln was Protestant and Confederate generals were Catholic. Protestants were against slavery of Africans while Catholics were pro slavery. Crusaders were mostly Catholic. Support for Israel also is mostly from USA south, also known as bible belt. Today most of the successful countries of the world like US, England, Australia, New Zealand are Protestant countries.
You will find that its the Catholic branch Kerala which is in bed with BJP and RSS, they also support Israel.

 

[xeuss]

Will any of the houses of the protesters be demolished by bulldozers?

 

[Wood]

Are they mad? A 4 year contract in the army? What purpose does it serve the armed forces?

India is trying to follow the conscription model to ultimately reduce payroll expense of the armed forces. I believe many other countries including China follows the same model. Average age of Indian armed service men is 32, while countries with a conscription model are significantly younger than this.

 

[Areesh]

Will any of the houses of the protesters be demolished by bulldozers?

Well we all know the answer to your question

 

[Jango]

This is similar to the US military, is it not?

Only a few make it as career officers or soldiers, majority gets out early.

But the post-retirement benefits such as insurance and education expenses etc are a big motivation to go down this route for alot of people. I myself know a few.

I don't think the Indian Army will be providing those sort of opportunities.

Would be happy to have an Indian perspective on this.

@Joe Shearer

 

[jamahir]

BJP also destroyed this Ravidas temple of Dalits in Delhi in a treacherous way, in the middle of the night.

Wow, I had read of this issue in passing but didn't know the depth of it. So this was a 160-year-old temple dedicated to a reformer who rejected ritualism and theist dogma and this obviously found favor with the indigenous people of India who had become displaced by the invading Aryans from Iran who imposed a new oppressive political, social and socio-economic system on the indigenous and made themselves the upper caste bosses and made the indigenous the oppressed lower castes. So this temple wasn't the target of just Modi administration but of the upper castes prior.

Will the government do such a thing for Tirupati or Puri's Jagannath ?

I found that most of the semi-idolators in Christian community are Catholics branch and its offshoots, They also venerate(word used by them instead of worship) Mariyam and other saints. Their churches are very materialistic. like the ones near my home.

While Protestant branch are more monotheistic, churches are simpler, sometimes only a cross on the altar.

Ah, thanks. The first picture is totally gaudy.

Schism is somewhat similar to Shia - Sunni.
some Catholic sects do self-flagellation, to remind themselves of the suffering of Christ.

I have read or seen such a thing somewhere.

Less known fact about American Civil war, was that it was a ideological war between Protestant North and Catholic South. Abraham Lincoln was Protestant and Confederate generals were Catholic. Protestants were against slavery of Africans while Catholics were pro slavery. Crusaders were mostly Catholic. Support for Israel also is mostly from USA south, also known as bible belt. Today most of the successful countries of the world like US, England, Australia, New Zealand are Protestant countries.
You will find that its the Catholic branch Kerala which is in bed with BJP and RSS, they also support Israel.

Thanks for that info. I didn't know.

 

[Joe Shearer]

This is similar to the US military, is it not?

Only a few make it as career officers or soldiers, majority gets out early.

But the post-retirement benefits such as insurance and education expenses etc are a big motivation to go down this route for alot of people. I myself know a few.

I don't think the Indian Army will be providing those sort of opportunities.

Would be happy to have an Indian perspective on this.

@Joe Shearer

I am afraid that this Indian has a rather pessimistic perspective on it.

On the face of it, as far as the mechanics of the plan are concerned, it is not unreasonable. The percentage of the Indian defence budget spent on pensions and pay has steadily increased over the years, first, due to the vastly increased numbers of retired personnel (in 1947, the Indian army was only around 250,000 strong; in later years, my uncle was enfuriated by my father pointing out that he commanded more men than did the Chief of Naval Staff). That number increased until today, the standing army is over a million strong.

Obviously this increase has been matched by the increased numbers of pensioners as the serving men and officers retired after completing their colour service. Add to that the increased longevity, that meant that precisely as increased numbers of pensioners had to be paid (and their health looked after), their dependence on the exchequer was disproportionately higher. Finally, under considerable pressure, the government pretended to give in to the One Rank One Pension policy, where a colonel who retired in the 80s and a colonel who retired in the 00s would draw the same pay; earlier, the colonel from the 80s got a fraction of his service pay as pension and that stayed constant, whereas his counterpart from twenty years later was paid a higher sum, as serving pay had gone up several times in the interim.

The answer the babus came up with was the Tour of Duty. So a soldier (or a seaman, or an aviator) would be recruited for a four year span of duty, and terminated after that. Some, of exceptionally high standards, would be offered a renewed contract. Those who left after their Tour of Duty would get a lump sum and no pension. The lump sum to be used for whatever purpose the released person might want to use it for.

This sounds reasonable, so what were the major sources of resistance or of disaffection with this proposal?