Indian Minister Sparks Outrage After Remarks About New Military Recruitment Scheme

On 14 June, the Indian government announced a new military recruitment scheme, Agnipath, to enrol military personnel below officer rank for four years. The scheme has triggered violent protests across the country, as the government was accused of failing to consider what the young people will do after four years' service is completed.

Indian Federal Minister Gangapuram Kishan Reddy has said that those recruited under the new military recruitment scheme, known as Agnipath (from Agnipath Yojana or Fire-Path Scheme), will learn the skills of drivers, electricians, washermen, barbers and other professions. They will also be given preference in guard jobs.

Sharing the video of Reddy, Telangana state minister Kalvakuntla Talaka Rama Rao said his remarks were "shocking".

Shocking Statement -
In Press Conference Union Minister Kishan Reddy says Agniveers will be trained with skills of drivers, electricians, washermen, barbers and after 4 years of training Agniveers can be helpful for these posts#AgnipathScheme @KTRTRS @umasudhir pic.twitter.com/PIiZ4BMkES

— krishanKTRS (@krishanKTRS) June 18, 2022

Another politician, Priyanka Chaturvedi, also reacted to Reddy's remarks, and tweeted: "Armed Forces will now be a training ground for a skilled labour workforce for the nation such as drivers, electricians etc under Agnipath recruitment scheme. A new achievement unlocked!"

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) general secretary and senior politician, Kailash Vijayvargiya, said that he would rather hirie an "Agniveer" (someone who has gone through the Agnipath scheme) as a security guard at the BJP party office.

जिस महान सेना की वीर गाथाएँ कह सकने में समूचा शब्दकोश असमर्थ हो, जिनके पराक्रम का डंका समस्त विश्व में गुंजायमान हो, उस भारतीय सैनिक को किसी राजनीतिक दफ़्तर की ‘चौकीदारी’ करने का न्यौता, उसे देने वाले को ही मुबारक।

भारतीय सेना माँ भारती की सेवा का माध्यम है, महज एक ‘नौकरी’ नहीं। pic.twitter.com/Ehq0rwx0zV

— Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) June 19, 2022

Vijayvargiya's remarks were condemned by a parliamentarian in his own party, Varun Gandhi, who said: "Inviting an Indian soldier to be a guard at party office is uncalled for."

Under the Agnipath scheme, citizens aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 will be eligible to apply for a four-year stint in the military. A quarter of these recruits will be eligible to apply as regular personnel after they complete their four-year service.

On Thursday evening, the central government raised the upper age limit for recruitment under the scheme to 23 years from 21 years for 2022.

On Saturday, the federal government said it would give a 10 percent reservation for Agnipath recruits in the jobs offered by the home and defence ministries.

Several states, including Telangana, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, have witnessed violent protests since Wednesday over the new scheme.

The protesters are demanding that the scheme be rolled back as it doesn't include benefits such as pensions, or social security coverage.

However, on Sunday the defence ministry made it clear that the scheme wouldn't be cancelled.

The protesters have set trains on fire, vandalised public property, with thousands of people blocking railway tracks and highways.

In the state of Bihar, 60 train carriages and property worth about INR 7Bln ($89Mln), have been burnt in the past four days by protesters against the Agnipath scheme, India Today reported.

Chief Public Relations Officer Virendra Kumar on Sunday said that the damage caused to railway property is still being estimated. So far, 380 trains have been cancelled since Wednesday.