Raushan Kumar Sinha, 37, a national secretary of the Left-leaning All India Youth Federation (AIYF) was in jail for about 10 months for allegedly instigating protests against the Agnipath scheme that turned violent in the three days between June 17 and June 20 in 2022. Mr. Sinha says he had posted a statement on Facebook a day earlier on behalf of his organisation that the AIYF will oppose “contractualisation” of Indian Army. The next day, two trains were torched in his home town Lakhisarai and he was named in two FIRs registered by the Bihar Police in the case. By March 2023, another case was registered under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and he was jailed on March 16, 2023.
When he was released on bail on January 13, 2024, he yet again plunged into the campaign against the Agnipath scheme, trying to remind the youngsters to vote against the present government. “I was targeted for political reasons. All youth organisations announced protests. Students who were preparing for Army joined the protests in their thousands. Even now, the administration and the police pick up youngsters saying they were part of the protests,” Mr. Sinha says.
“Agnipath” and “Agniveer” are the key points of discussion in Buxar and Arrah, the two areas bordering Uttar Pradesh in Bihar. Hundreds of students and youngsters prepare for defence, paramilitary and police jobs in these places, where unemployment among youth is higher than the national average. The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey says the Unemployment Rate (UR) in Bihar in the age group of 15-29 years is 18.7%, when the national rate is 16.5%.
