Agnipath: End the violence
Concerns must be allayed through discussion and the protesters should exercise restraint
Since a new short-term recruitment scheme for the armed forces was announced by the government last week, the country has been rocked by violent protests. Under the scheme, Agnipath, men and women between 17.5 and 21 will be inducted for four years in the three services, after which a quarter will be retained. The scheme has polarised India. The government and a section of the defence brass believe that it will lower the average age of the fighting corps, boost youthful energy and technological savvy in the forces, and put a lid on the burgeoning defence pension bill. But for a number of Opposition parties, veterans and a coalition member of the government, the scheme appeared hasty, possibly hurting the combat capacity of the forces.
The debate has two aspects. The first is political, with the administration being found wanting. Defence recruitment is an important aspect of the social and community fabric in many regions, and a major shift away from tradition needed guidance and a soft touch. There is no justification for the violent protests, but the belated and scattershot response in some cases indicated that state and local authorities were either caught unprepared or didn’t anticipate the scale of resentment. To push through a reform of this scale needed more groundwork.
The second is economic and social. It is no coincidence that some of the protests were from regions caught in a cycle of low-paying contractual jobs in underdeveloped economies. That Agnipath appeared to some to be another short-term contract, shorn of the security of a permanent job, pension, and social status, is a social and a political economy problem. The government moved quickly on this, announcing 10% reservation in paramilitary, coast guard, and defence jobs, and priority hiring of decommissioned agniveers in ministry jobs and railways, and educational and financial support for those looking to switch their careers after leaving. This will go a long way in assuaging the concerns of young people, but will need adroit monitoring.
Agnipath is the most ambitious reform in the defence realm in years. To ensure its successful implementation, all sides — the government, forces, aspirants, and civil society — must keep an open mind, be flexible and alert to troubleshooting. But young people will have to ensure that the violence comes to a stop. No amount of frustration with unemployment can be justified to destroy public property. Only discussion and mutual consensus on the way forward will serve the country.