The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella organisation of about 300 farmers’ associations, announced here on Saturday that it would launch joint agitations with several youth organisations and the United Front of Ex-Servicemen against the Agnipath scheme. At a joint press conference here, the farmers’ leaders and defence veterans said ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Sammelans (meetings)‘ would be held at various centres in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Punjab between August 7 and 14.
The leaders said the Agnipath scheme should be rolled back instantly and all the notifications issued under it must be withdrawn. “The time-tested method of regular, permanent recruitment must continue,” said a joint statement issued by the SKM, the United Front of Ex-Servicemen and several youth organisations. Major General Satbir Singh (retd.), Group Captain V.K. Gandhi (retd.), Hanan Mollah, Rakesh Tikait, Yogendra Yadav, Aishee Ghosh and Manish addressed the press conference.
They said the pending vacancies (about 1.25 lakh) and the current year vacancies (about 60,000) should be filled immediately following the pre-existing method of regular and permanent recruitment. “The recruitment process already initiated must be completed with an age relaxation of two years in lieu of non-recruitment in the last two years. All cases against anti-Agnipath protesters must be withdrawn and the arrested youth must be released forthwith. There should be no privatisation in the defence sector; the government must accept its responsibility for national security and protection of the honour and morale of armed forces,” they said.
The leaders said the Agnipath scheme had put to an end the tried and tested method of regular, permanent recruitment to the armed forces. “It would mean a drastic reduction in the size of armed forces, from the present sanctioned strength of 14 lakh to merely seven lakh. “Replacing bulk of the regular recruitment by contractual Agniveers will seriously hamper the operational capacity and morale of the armed forces at a time when external threats to national security are on the rise. Termination of ongoing recruitment is a betrayal of those aspirants who had worked towards it for years and were waiting for final results of their hard work. This will mean a severe jolt to the unemployed youth already facing reduction in public sector employment opportunities,” they added.
The farmers’ leaders said the process was a serious setback to the farming families who had contributed to the nation by sending their youth to the armed forces. “The proposed ‘All India All Class recruitment’ will severely reduce the share of regions like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, western U..P and eastern Rajasthan that have contributed to the armed forces for generations, besides affecting the morale of the regiments,” they said.
Through the campaign, the organisations will try to educate the public about the consequences of Agnipath scheme. “If the farm laws were dire, the Agnipath scheme is disastrous. With our kisans and jawans in distress, the very backbone of our nation is in the danger of breaking. Our silence cannot be the reason for the government to bulldoze and destroy the protectors and feeders of the nation. We have stopped them once, we can stop them again,” the SKM statement said.
