BURNING FINGERS ,
THE INDIAN WAY
Prof Col Dr
K Prabhakar Rao, A veteran
We see that when
former CDS proposed short tenure entry of three years to
youth as officers as scheme for tour of duty, there was hardly any comment in
press. Youth neglected the scheme. I think the proposal died soon .
Now, when four year
term for jawans as Agniveers is proposed and being implemented forthwith,
country is burning at railway stations. Youth are burning trains, railway
property for the last three to four days. In secunderabad, there was utter chaos and very large scale
violence and railway police shot and killed one person when things were
getting out of control. The crowd was heading to attack massive diesel storage tanks in the station
which could have caused great devastation and explosion. In view of situation
police acted tough that was needed. Violence should be always condemned
and ruthlessly supressed.
Railway
property worth crores of rupees was destroyed. In
secunderabad , police failed to foresee trouble even after similar
chaos in northern states. Intelligence in all probabilities failed to fore see.
This type of large scale co ordinated violence will not take place without detailed
and precise planning and co ordination. This appeared to be the
outcome of well organised plan and execution by hoodlums being
termed as agitated youth helped by vested interests. Police is rightly
on the track of culprits. Many defence coaching centres in the city are believed to be the key players in
fomenting trouble.This is being investigated thoroughly.
The proposed scheme
will kill time tested regimental orientation and
commitment to regiments and to army in general ultimately. If
continued for few years, the very composition of regiments would be
seriously diluted and then destroyed
finally which is not reversible. Old values that sustained army all these
years will vanish and a non committed army would be the outcome. The present
army evolved into a mighty committed force having fought many wars
and actions against terrorism since 1989 continuously. The youth who are
ready to burn national property if join army having escaped police
eye would make them into a force a conglamation of rather hoodlums
than disciplined soldiers. Discipline the key trait of services will evaporate
in to thin air making it a dangerous force in nation under arms.. Once released , most of
them remain un employed and frustrated when they join
some odd jobs here and there. State govts and para militaries do not give
satisfaction they are seeking and thus civil society gets largely
militarised with highly frustrated youth that can plunge nation into chaos.. It
is very dangerous to nation.. A soldier takes much more time than
four years to become a very committed and patriotic soldier with
high values in life. The proposed six month training to Agniveers is an apology. Discipline
among soldiers will vanish into thin air by the present
policy. Govt claims, it is looking at reduction of manpower and
orientation towards technology. The govt is all the time worried and
concerned about high salary and pension bill from defence budget. Think
of civilian employees in min of defence who are eating away into defence
budget and I am sure the govt does not want to touch them. One can imagine the
state if the present policy is fully implemented. Destruction of the
organisation is not far away. The new army chief is expected to burn his fingers surely
cutting a sorry figure. That will be the worst day for the nation. But
by the time, damage would have been done that would be non reversible.
Destruction of an organisation would be rather simple and
easy for leaders but not re building it
.
The govt agencies
however are claiming that issues were discussed threadbare for long time and
all issues were well analysed before arriving at the implementation of the
scheme of Agnipath.They claim that
certain modifiactions in the organization are essential to reduce man power as technology has greatly improved and is
available. Apart from these the quality of input has also improved from what it
was earlier and youth are in better state to absorb and understand
technological improvements in the equipment and in warfare.
Youth are more worried
about their long term benefits and a
need for long service that gives thema secured life to take care of the
families and parents. The present scheme throws them out after 4 years. About
25 percent of the recruited cadre would be absorbed for permanent job in services and rest have to compete in
para military forces like Assam rifles, BSF
, CRPF etc. where some reservations could be provided for parallel
induction of discharged soldiers. Others
have to try their luck in corporate world and and in some state
governments. Life is thus gets
unsettled. The amount of Rs 11.5 lakh rupees I s a mere pea nuts for
them with which they can not buy a house
nor some land and meet family obligations. Youth were thus aiming for permanent recruitment into
services like in previous years and suddenly the bomb fell on them as Agni path
that they could not digest. The
trouble erupted in northern states and continued causing great losses. South
was relatively calm except incidents at
Secunderabad. Some senior retired generals
who came on TV expressed their
view that services are purely voluntary services and there is no conscription
and there is no compulsion. It was up to youth to join services to join or
not to join. It is up to them. Indian
armed services are one of the
best armed services in the world . 1411658 armed
personnel are working in three services as on December 2021 while in
Army alone has 11,10,079 armed personnel. These services have Youth
particularly from northern states who feel that their employment opportunities have been badly cut down and agitated youth attacked railway properties all over
northern belt causing great losses. In fact , maximum number of youth join from
north while contribution from south is far less. In army 14.65 % of servicemen are from UP state which is
highest and followed by Punjab ( 8.129%)
, Maharashtra (7.596 %), Rajasthan
(7.205 %),Bihar( 6.608 %), Haryana (5.934 %),Uttarakhand (5.40%), West Bengal
(4.94 %), Tamil nadu (4.593%), Himachal
Pradesh (4.397 % ), Madhya Pradesh (4.235%) , Jammu and Kashmir( 4.218%).Andhra
Pradesh (3.860%). The remaining Indian states lag behind such as Kerala ( 3.379
%), Karnataka (2.911%), Orissa ( 2.132 % ), Assam ( 1.805 %),Jharkhand( 1.547
%), Telangana ( 0.972 %), Chattisgad(
0.890%),Manipur ( 0.771 %), Nagaland (
0.331),Mizoram ( 0.279 %), Arunachal (0.270%),
Delhi ( 0.226 % ), Tripura ( 0.174 %), Sikkim (0.164%) and Meghalaya ( 0.148 % ).The youth from northern
belt from which services draw
max man power feel that their employment
opportunities are adversely affected. This also added fuel to fire. In
fact the declaration of the scheme was
all of a sudden and there was no fore warning about likely changes in recruitment into
services. Hence youth feel that they were let down. Indian army has many
conventianl regiments based on
particular province and sect Like jat, sikh, Rajput, madras, mahar, Bihar, Maratha, Punjab, Garhwal etc and
youth from these sects take pride in
joining such regiments. Families feel
very proud when their children join defence services. Now they felt let down by
the new scheme and having lost the
opportunity it resulted in serious unhappiness and crisis. There will be always
many unwanted sources in society who will stoke the fire to cause crisis in
society leading to violence. Such
persons and groups exploit the
situation for political ends too. All
hell broke loose the moment Agnipath was declared suddenly.
Senior defence officers have
been giving statements in press and declaring on TV that defence services are
taking up reformation in the services in view of changed technological conditions and availability to the services.
Youth are better qualified now to adopt better technological methods in the
warfare. In other terms the jobs can be
done by lesser personnel leading to reduced expenditure on pay and pensions in future. These senior
officers are also claiming that discharged soldiers after four years i.e 75 %
of recruited soldiers could compete in Assam rifles CRPF and BSF the para military forces where about 10 % reservations will be available to
such discharged soldiers. Up to 25 % of recruited soldiers would be absorbed
for permanent service if they meet the requirements at the end of four years
service. These promises and statements in fact do not satisfy the youth who
feel they are deprived of permanent service that was available to them early.
Hence the heart burn continues.
At the end of four years, there will be
many released youth who will not be able to find proper job in industry.
The army experience is not much counted in industry except for security
services. The released soldiers from services like EME Signals and
Engineers could find some placements if lucky. Yet scores will be facing
axe in civil society. Def services are also stating that the released personnel
will be given 12 th class pass certificate by the govt to enable them to find some employment in civil society when
curtains are drawn . Sadly these defence
certificates have no takers outside army. The released personnel have lost valuable time to continue
education after release. They are already more than 21 years age and have lost most precious time
to acquire higher education. Thus they are big loosers on both fronts.It is
argued that the the released youth have acquired discipline, better bearing,
self confidence and pride of having served
in defence services. Even if these are accepted fact remains that they lost
very valuable time in their life
and are still running around for
settling down in life.
References
1.
“Trains burnt in Agni path
protest”, correspondent, Deccan
chronicle, dated 17 June 2022, Page 1
Col 3 to 6,
2.
BJP defend Agni path as CMs
offer Agniveer sops”, correspondent , Deccan chronicle dated 17
June 2022 , page 7, col 2 to 4,
3.
“Defence ministry revises
Agnipath as per age limit” ,
correspondent, Deccan chronicle , dated
17 June 2022, page 7, col 5
4.
“Storm over Agnipath. It is huge shift May need Tweaks”, Deccan chronicle , Page 6 ,
5.
“Reform unpleasant but will bear
fruits PM”, Deccan chronicle , dated 21 June 2022, Page 1, col 5 to 8
6.
“Army issues recruitment notice , PM to meet chiefs”, Deccan chronicle, dated
21 June 2022, page 1, col 2
7.
“Agnipeeth bringing the gig of economy
to Indian military”, Sanjeev
Ahluwalia, Deccan chronicle, dated 21 June 2022, Page 2, col 2 to 4
8.
“Secunderabad riot mastermind to
face probe by city cops”, Deccan chronicle,
dated 21 June 2022, page 4
9.
“Arani nirasanagni ” , Enadu ,
Hyderabad Telugu edition, dated 19 June
2022, page 1.
10.
“Agni veer to get 10 per cent reservations in paramilitary”, Deccan
chronicle dated 19
June 2022, page 1, col 2,3
11.
“ Kutrapooritham gane vidhwamsam”, Enadu, Hyderabad telugu edition,
dated 19 june 2022 dated page 6 , col 1
to 4
12.
“ Niyantrana leke nirbheeti”,Enadu Hyderabad Telugu edition,, dated 19 June
2022, page 7, col 1, 2
13.
Guntur, vijaywada
visakha railway stationla lonu dadulaku pathakam, Enadu, Hyderabad telugu edition, date 19 june 2022,
page 6
14.
“Disa nirdesam
leni agni path, Sonia Gandhi”. Enadu Hyderabad telugu edition, dated 19 June 2022, page 21,
15.
“Allarla nashtam
pai sit tho daryaptu cheyinchali”, Enadu , Hyderabad telugu edition, dated 19 June 2022, page 21
16.
“Kendra analochiha nirnayalaho yuvatha bali”. Enadu, Hyderabad
yelugu edition, date 19 june 2022,
page 6, col 2,3
17.
“Agnipath to change defence hiring”, Deccan chronicle, dated 15 june 2022 page 1,
col 5 to 8
18.
“Agnipath evokes mixed reactions from veterans”,
Deccan chronicle, 15 June 2922,
page 7, col 3,4,5
19.
“500 Secunderabad rioters tracked”, deccan
chronicle 20 June 2022, page 4 , col 2 to 5
20.
“Coaching centres provoked stir”, Deccan chronicle 20 June 2022 ,page 1 ,
col 2 to 6
21.
“One dead in
Agni path stir at Secunderabad station”, Deccan chronicle 16 June
2022,Deccan chronicle 16 June 2022, page
1, col 2 to 6
22.
“Agnipath protests refuse to die down across India,” Deccan chronicle 18 June 2022 ,page 1, col 2
to 4
23.
“23, Agnipath to transform our military, so give it a chance,” Lt gen
Syed Ata Hasnain Retired,
Deccan chronicle, dated 20 June 2022
,page 6, Col 3 to 6
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