Agnipath: Protests erupt in Gurugram, Rewari, Palwal against government

On Tuesday, defence minister Rajnath Singh, along with the three service chiefs, announced the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers between 17.5 and 21 years for a four-year period, replacing the legacy system of recruitment

Protests broke out against the Central government’s Agnipath scheme for short-term defence recruitment at several places in south Haryana, including Gurugram, Rewari and Palwal.

Army aspirants protested against the Agnipath scheme in Gurugram's Bilaspur Chowk area and jammed both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway. (ANI Photo)

Several protesters gathered around 10am at Gurugram’s Bilaspur Chowk on national highway 48 and blocked traffic on both sides of the Delhi-Jaipur highway till 4pm, while in Rewari they blocked the traffic on Circular Road for a few hours. The situation in both cities remained peaceful, police said.

The protest, however, turned violent in Palwal, where protesters blocked the national highway to Agra, torched five police vehicles and pelted stones at the district collector’s office, forcing the police to fire several rounds in the air. At least 15 police personnel were seriously injured.

On Tuesday, defence minister Rajnath Singh, along with the three service chiefs, announced the Agnipath scheme for short-term induction of soldiers between 17.5 and 21 years for a four-year period, replacing the legacy system of recruitment. The protesters who were waiting for the army recruitment process, which was halted in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, to be resumed said they were unhappy with the changes introduced under the new scheme -- the age restriction that now makes many of them ineligible, the length of service, and the absence of any pensionary provision for people recruited as Agniveers.

The protestors at Bilaspur, a majority of whom were residents of adjoining villages, demanded that army recruitment rallies should be held in Haryana as they have not been carried out for the last three years. They also alleged that the Agnipath scheme will not give them a permanent career. “Several youth from my village have cleared the physical test and have been waiting for the recruitment to be completed. Many are preparing for the army. Where will they go? This Agnipath scheme is not of any use,” said a protester on condition of anonymity.

Protesters said that they had gathered spontaneously after discussing the matter over social media sites and WhatsApp groups on Wednesday evening. A large number of people in Haryana opt for the army as a career and this scheme will kill their dream. We don’t want a contract job,” said another protester.

Several veterans, including senior Congress leader Captain (retired) Ajay Singh Yadav, said that Agnipath scheme will bring down the morale of the armed forces. “The government wants to reduce the benefits given to jawans. Several youth from Haryana join the armed forces. They have made sacrifices for the nation and this is no way to treat the army. The Agnipath scheme is a contractual job scheme which will demean this profession. The government should instead focus on filling the 400,000 vacant jobs in the army,” he said.

Due to the blockade on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, there was heavy congestion on both sides of the carriageway, following which the police diverted traffic at Panchgaon Chowk towards KMP Expressway. It was only after 4pm when Gurugram additional deputy commisioner Vishram Kumar Meena persuaded the protesters to submit a memorandum of demands that they dispersed and vehicular movement started on the highway, Gurugram police said.

In Rewari, army aspirants gathered at the brass market in the morning, from where they marched towards the bus stand and blocked the road. From there they moved towards the Naiwali Chowk and blocked the road for half-an-hour after which police asked them to shift to the Rai Tularam Park, said locals.

Hansraj, deputy superintendent of police, headquarters, Rewari said that the protest remained peaceful and the protesters later dispersed after handing over a memorandum to authorities, he said.

In Palwal, meanwhile, the government suspended internet services for 24 hours and formed two special police teams to investigate the incident.