Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday pledged to fight for the cause of the youth against the new Agnipath recruitment scheme while asking them to keep their agitation peaceful and non-violent.
Congress leaders will sit on a satyagraha against the scheme at Jantar Mantar from 11am on Sunday.
A statement addressed to the agitating youth, released on behalf of Sonia, who is undergoing treatment in hospital, by party communications chief Jairam Ramesh, said: “You aspire to serve the nation by joining the Indian armed forces. I can understand the pain of recruitment not being done for the last three years despite lakhs of vacancies in the armed forces.
“I have full sympathy for the youths who (were) waiting for the result and appointment after appearing in the examination for entry (into the armed forces). It is distressing that the government launched a directionless recruitment scheme by brushing aside your voice.
“Many ex-servicemen and experts have also raised questions about the new scheme along with you all. The Indian National Congress is firmly standing with you and pledges to fight for withdrawal of this scheme to protect your interests.
“We will raise your voice before the government like a true patriot, following the path of truth, non-violence and peace. I request you also to campaign for your legitimate demands in a peaceful and non-violent manner.”
The Congress expressed outrage at the new concessions given by the government.
“Why was adequate planning not done before announcing the scheme? Repairs started after violence all over the country,” senior leader Pramod Tewari said.
“The home minister now talks of 10 per cent reservation for Agniveers (Agnipath recruits) in the central paramilitary forces. Why was this not thought out in advance? And what is the fate of similar promises? Scrap the scheme right now. (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi waited for the death of 700 farmers to scrap the farm laws after one year. How many deaths of students will he wait for now?”
Tewari wondered how a government could plot the retirement of soldiers in their early and mid-20s.
“Why are the youth of this country being sacrificed? To save some money? Where was this quest for saving money when national assets were sold to crony capitalists at abnormally cheaper rates?” he said.
“We plead with folded hands, save this country. The situation is extremely bad. Young boys are stepping out of their homes to protest against this scheme; the helpless parents don’t know what is going to happen.”
Young Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar said that most of the promises made by Modi and his government remained unfulfilled, and argued that this was preventing the agitating youth from taking the new promises seriously.
“We are asking, where was the need for this new scheme when the system of recruitment was already in place, with TA-DA, pension, school admission (for the soldiers’ children) and financial security for the family after death?” he said.
“Why are the ministers behaving like salesmen, hawking the benefits of the Agnipath scheme, like we see rat poison being sold outside railway stations?”
Kanhaiya added: “The Prime Minister promised Rs 15 lakh in every (Indian’s bank) account. He said note-bandi (demonetisation) would finish terrorism. He promised two crore jobs every year. The youths have now erupted in anger because their tolerance level has been breached.
“These are the same youths who quietly tolerated the lockdown and the oxygen crisis (in hospitals during the second wave of the pandemic last year). These youths come from poor families; their joining the army is a matter of prestige for these families. The home minister’s son doesn’t join the army, he becomes BCCI secretary. The Prime Minister wears the army uniform as a sort of fancy dress. But for these boys, the army is a matter of sacrifice and pride.”
