Whatever the Government decides, or does, is not meant to be criticized and should be accepted without voicing concerns, protesting, or seeking changes—this is what the country’s Government as well as those in the Ministry of Defence seem to be suggesting. However, they seem to be forgetting the basic principles of democracy, something which forms the core of it: to resist, voice concerns, and protest. Any system that goes against these virtues can be called anything, but democracy.
There is a need to understand the reasons behind protests that have erupted across the country. Providing lakhs of jobs—which was a promise made by the Government—is long due as nothing has been delivered on that front. Scores of recruitment drives are stuck and have not moved beyond a certain point even as countless aspirants have now crossed the age limit, rendering them ineligible for Government jobs. In this backdrop, the Government comes up with the ‘Agneepath Scheme’ which promises a job, but a temporary one. Enough to cause anguish.
While the Government has failed in providing jobs and comes up with a face-saving scheme, the anger, especially from the youngsters is natural. Though there is no justification for the violence, the abrupt outbreak of protests and violence somehow suggests the state of mind of the youngsters who are keen to serve the nation by joining the army: but why reduce it all to a humiliating contract?
Another noteworthy point is that those who end up becoming ‘Angniveers’—might belong to the remotest areas of the country—have an equal right of reaching up to the rank of an Army General, but that does not fall within the ambit of the scheme as it ensures to keep the ‘Agniveers’ confined to three lower ranks in the Army hierarchy, but why?
In a way, the Government has been trying to suggest that while the youth, especially those from villages, have got no major sources of income otherwise, are at least given a lump-sum amount of around Rs 11 lakh at the end of the four years of service with which they can start their enterprise when out. It is not only ridiculous but also kills the very spirit of the essence of a military job in a country like India. By picturing it in such a manner, isn’t the Government trying to hide its incapability; its failure on the employment front?
If the Government is intending to trim down the defence spending, why can’t the netas come forward and cut down on their security so that the expenditure, which is huge, is decreased? Why is it always about a jawan sacrificing, one, on the line of defence, and now in terms of expenditure?
Lastly, the jawans have been given the job of securing the borders from the enemies. For their betterment and prosperity, the nation has never compromised, and has always ensured that if the people eat less, the jawans are fed well because they have a greater role to play. The last word is that the Agneepath Scheme’ is calling hard for a revision, and incorporation of necessary reforms, if not, then, it deserves a complete rollback—if it fails to serve the interests of the country’s youth.
