To Shishupal Singh of Bhojpur, the mayhem that Bihar witnessed on Thursday was the fallout of a trust betrayed.

A BJP lawmaker’s car was attacked. Another’s home was vandalised. Trains were torched. Motorbikes were placed on tracks and set ablaze. Buses, cars and trains were stoned. Roads and tracks were blocked, with seething mobs milling everywhere, often clashing with police.

The flames of jobless youths’ fury at the Agnipath scheme of short-term contractual recruitment to the armed forces continued to singe Bihar on Thursday with rail and road traffic disrupted, markets closed at many places and life thrown out of gear.

Shishupal, who has several relatives in the armed forces, explained the rage on the streets.

Bihar, a poor state on all parameters, has been a large contributor to the armed forces, especially in the non-officer ranks. These jobs are seen as the gateway to a better future because of a secure and permanent income and pension, medical benefits for the family, education facilities for the children, and subsidised goods provided by the military canteens.

The Agnipath scheme threatens to snatch these benefits.

“We send our sons as soldiers ready to lay down their lives for the country, but there was also an inherent trust that the army takes care of its families,” Shishupal said.

“The Agnipath scheme erodes that basic trust. It kind of demotes the jawans to contractual workers. This scheme is an attack on the protective forces of our country.”

BJP attacked

A young mob vandalised the BJP office in Nawada and set it on fire. Another attacked the SUV of Warsaliganj BJP MLA Aruna Devi when it stopped near a railway crossing on Nawada town’s outskirts. She fled on foot but her driver was injured.

“We were going to Nawada town to participate in a programme. There was a crowd at a railway crossing and we stopped. Some of them came towards us,” Devi told reporters.

“They saw the BJP flag on the vehicle’s bonnet, wrenched it off, and attacked us. I managed to escape on foot, but my SUV was left behind and was damaged.”

Protesters ransacked the house of the Chapra MLA, C.N. Gupta of the BJP, and tried unsuccessfully to set fire to the building. Gupta was not at home.

Arwal, Jehanabad, Gaya, Nawada, Bhojpur, Aurangabad, Kaimur, Buxar, Gopalganj, Siwan, Saran, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, Khagaria, Munger, Banka, Katihar and Madhubani were among the worst-hit districts. The protesters had just one demand — withdraw the Agnipath scheme.

“The Centre is playing with our careers and our lives. It is also playing with the army and the nation,” said Animesh Kumar, a protester in Sonepur.

“Working in the armed forces is our dream and we will not allow it to be shattered.”

Many youths said they would further intensify their agitation on Friday and would continue it till the Agnipath scheme was withdrawn.

Push-up protest

A large number of students blocked the tracks in Saharsa and performed push-ups to register their protest in a novel way against the Agnipath scheme.

Trains were torched at Gopalganj, Chapra and Kaimur Road stations. The agitators’ stones smashed the windowpanes of trains and buses. Smoke billowed from Siwan station after youths burnt tyres on the tracks and fought with the police.

A mob virtually seized Ara railway station in Bhojpur district, placing motorbikes on the tracks and setting them on fire. The police fired teargas shells and carried out a baton-charge to break up the protest.

Train services were in disarray across Bihar, with the East Central Railway alone cancelling 22 trains while many others were delayed or stopped midway for hours in Uttar Pradesh or Jharkhand for safety's sake.

“Train services were restored at 3.30pm after the demonstrations were over,” ECR chief public relations officer Rajesh Kumar said.

Additional director-general of police (headquarters) Jitendra Singh Gangwar said: "It was a challenging day for the police but things went off smoothly and peacefully, except at a couple of places."

Parties' appeal

Political parties including BJP allies have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reconsider the Agnipath scheme.

Bihar energy minister and senior JDU leader Bijendra Prasad Yadav said: "We appeal to the Government of India to sit down with people to discuss the issue and take their suggestions because they are opposing the Agnipath scheme."

Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) founder and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an NDA member, sought immediate withdrawal of the scheme, calling it "a dangerous step against the interests of the nation and the youth".

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) national president Chirag Paswan wrote to defence minister Rajnath Singh requesting a rethink.

Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav accused the BJP of trying to destroy the country and doing away with reservation in the name of contractual employment.

"How will the nation stay safe if crores of brave youths and jawans start feeling unsafe because of the government's policies?" he said.

The BJP accused Tejashwi of instigating the youth.

"Tejashwi is destroying the morale of the armed forces by criticising Agnipath and making baseless allegations of corruption, casteism and regionalism in the recruitment of soldiers. He should not incite the youth," BJP spokesperson Ram Sagar Singh said.

BJP Rajya Sabha member and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said the Bihar government should announce that Agniveers would have priority in recruitment to government jobs.

"The attacks on BJP legislators and offices are condemnable," he said. "The administration should take strict action against antisocial elements indulging in illegal activities in the garb of youths wishing to serve in the armed forces."