By: Shubham Ghosh
THE protest against the radical armed forces’ recruitment scheme ‘Agnipath’ unveiled by the Narendra Modi government is showing little signs of dying out. Violence spread in a number of states this week as the protesting youth took extreme measures to put pressure on the government to roll the plan back.
Social media was filled with videos showing the angry youth, who aspire to be in the armed forces and serve for a long period, asking the Modi government not to go ahead with the ‘Agnipath’ plan. And they even threatened that it if did not backtrack, then they would turn terrorists!
In a video on Twitter shared by Ashok Swain, an academic and professor of peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, Sweden, a reporter was seen asking some protesting youth about the government’s plan and whether it would take a step.
Protesters are openly saying if the regime doesn’t take back its new military recruitment policy, they will become terrorists. Imagine the Indian media’s reactions if they were Muslim or Sikh protesters! pic.twitter.com/aafIPSszju
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) June 17, 2022
“Of course the government will take action,” said one youth in response to the reporter’s question.
“We will not rest till it takes action,” said another.
At this, another man wearing a yellow bandana, said, “If the government doesn’t roll the plan (Agnipath) plan back, then we will be forced to become terrorists”.
In another video, a protesting youngster said those aspiring to become military personnel were not being treated fairly. He also asked why the political leaders were getting huge subsidies when they were struggling to meet the goal of their lives.