The vital poll promise made by Narendra Modi’s BJP during 2014 election for the Lok Sabha was facilitating 2 crore jobs every year to appease the menace of unemployment. But meticulous and unjust reverse has been endured in the so called ‘minimum government but maximum governance’ rule of Modi for the past 8 years.
Instead of bringing out new employment opportunities, the BJP led Union government is systematically cutting down the scope of filling the existing vacancies through privatisation moves. Privatising the public sector undertakings, and lateral entry to the positions of authority in the government would belittle social justice, guaranteed in the Indian Constitution.
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BJP rule has started its game, in the recruitment of personnel for defence services, ‘Agnipath’. At present the lower rung defence personnel below the officer rank are recruited for a period of 15 years service. They are entitled to get pension after completing the term. But by the ‘innovative’ Agnipath, the youth would be absorbed for a 4 year period only without pension benefit. After the period only 25 per cent of them would be recruited for Central para military forces and others be left in the lurch. What are the avenues available to the sent out trained personnel at the age of 23? What is the guarantee given for their livelihood? Does it not mean downsizing the armed forces? The ministry says that the number of personnel being recruited under Agnipath would rise from 46,000 to 90,000 in the fifth year and to 1,25,000 in the sixth year. The hidden agenda of BJP rule gets exposed through such announcements and actions. It is not merely an economic issue but also employment security problem associated with the scheme.
The volunteers duly trained during the contract period of 4 years will be allowed to continue in the varied defence services. This is the move to encourage militarising the Hindutva outfits. It is the ultimate command of ‘Militarise the Hindus; Hinduise the Military’ advocated by the Sanghparivar ideologue, V.D. Savarkar. The avenues for the relieved personnel after the contract period are also being indicated by the army official. The training imparted to the volunteers like washing, cooking, cleaning works, and security service would suitably provide employment to them in private sector.
The core agenda of varnashrama is also accomplished through the implementation of the scheme. Physical labour is meant for the lower rung viz. sudras in the society. Varnashrama undertakes different ‘avatars’ like Agnipath, National Education Policy 2020 etc. reveals that education will not be denied to anyone but the pursuant of education could not continue and would be filtered in the name of public exams, so that dropouts would increase. The dropouts would be forced to undertake the occupation ‘destined’ for their families. The relieved personnel in Agnipath would necessarily have to face such a situation.
The scheme has witnessed wide spread protest from youth who dreamt largely of their recruitment in defence services. The anger of the youth has turned into severe violence in northern parts of the country. The situation must not be viewed only as a law and order problem, but also as an emotional outburst of the unemployed youth in the country.
Amidst the protest and wide spread opposition, the BJP led government has launched the scheme hastily, that would only add fuel to the fire. The Union government must think over on the launching of Agnipath. It is a pernicious scheme that has to be rolled back. The hurry shown by PM Modi in the issue of Farm laws need not be repeated in Agnipath scheme. When a lot of constructive and concrete initiatives are expected from BJP led Union government, unnecessary schemes such as Agnipath have to be avoided. The BJP rule must not spoil the present employment opportunities available for the youth! Till the repeal of the Farm laws, many productive hours and man’s working days were lost. Let it not happen again!
