Agnipath Protest: SFI, AISA and other student organisations protested at ITO Delhi

The SFI has alleged that during their protest against the Agnipath Recruitment Scheme Delhi police forcefully detained the protesters.

Despite Government announcing age relaxation for the Agnipath scheme, the protest against it continues across the country. Today a section of students from Delhi reached the ITO and tried blocking the road.

The left-backed student organizations, Students Federation of India(SFI) and All India Students Association (AISA) organized the protest at ITO in New Delhi against the Agnipath scheme as they claimed that it aims to weaken the armed forces and is vehemently anti-people and is anti-national.

SFI has alleged that in an already stagnant economy where unemployment rates are at an all-time high, this initiative by the central government will create dire situations for the youth of this country.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Defense launched the Agnipath scheme to recruit soldiers in the armed forces on a contractual basis for four years. The soldiers recruited under the scheme will be called 'Agniveer'.

Following this announcement, students came out on the streets demanding its rollback. The flames of agitation which started in Bihar reached the entire country as students from states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh blocked road and rail traffic demanding the rollback of the Agnipath scheme.

SFI in a statement has stated that the armed forces have hitherto provided a lucrative job option with good salaries and other life securities. The Agnipath scheme, however, will do away with the pensions and the life insurance scheme will also be limited to the four-year period of recruitment under the scheme. Out of everyone who gets training during this period, only 25% will be made permanent and the rest will be left unemployed.

“What will happen when the youth with military training are sent back into the society with no job guarantee? The resentment and anger due to the economic conditions will produce a youth that is. frustrated and militarized. This will serve. nothing but the Hindutva agenda as the militarized jobless youth will be handy recruits of the communal and fascist organizations,” it questioned.
It further claimed that about 40,000 youth per year without a job with training in arms each year is going to only create more conflict among the common masses.

Read More:

• Cabinet clears ‘AGNIPATH’ to recruit youth in Armed Forces; 46,000 Agniveers to be recruited this year
• Education Ministry to recognize training of Agniveers as graduation credits