NEW DELHI: Indian authorities canceled more than 500 train services on Monday as protests grew in the country and turned violent over a new military recruitment plan young people say will drastically cut tenure and offer fewer service benefits at the end of contract.
India has one of the world’s largest armed forces — almost 1.4 million personnel- with soldiers recruited by the army, navy and air force separately. Members typically serve for a period of up to 20 years, after which they are eligible for a pension.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government unveiled a new system last week called Agnipath (meaning “path of fire” in Hindi), under which a total of 46,000 soldiers will be recruited this year on four-year contracts, with only a quarter expected to be retained at the end of that term on permanent commission.
The shorter contracts have sparked violent protests in several Indian states, with at least one person killed as thousands of young men attacked train coaches, burned tires and clashed with officials, after which the government tweaked some of the rules. The government has also said it will ensure those enrolled under the scheme find suitable jobs when they are discharged.
“I have been preparing to join the air force for the last one and a half years but the new recruitment drive has demotivated me,” 19-year-old protester Radha Krishan from the eastern state of Bihar, told Arab News.
Several opposition parties have given their support to the protests.
“We demand its withdrawal. We demand that there should be a discussion on Agnipath in parliament,” Ajay Maken, spokesperson of the main opposition Congress party, told reporters on Monday.
The government has tried to allay concerns by adjusting parts of the plan to offer more soldiers federal and state government jobs after their service.
But most protesters say they want a full withdrawal of the scheme.
The plan comes as India seeks to trim its $76 billion military expenditure, the third highest in the world, most of which goes on the payment of wages and pensions.
“The real compulsion for the government ... is its inability to bear the pension burden or pension obligation of the armed forces,” political analyst Sudheendra Kulkarni told Arab News.
Major Gen. Yash Mor, a retired Indian army officer, said the new plan would leave many soldiers without dignity or social security.
“Who would join if it is only for four years?” Mor said.
The plan has also received criticism from some defense experts, who say it could weaken the structure of the forces and have serious ramifications for national security in a country which shares often-tense borders with Pakistan and China.
But top defense officials say Agnipath is a transformational reform implemented to revamp security infrastructure.
“Why should it be rolled back?” Lt. Gen. Anil Puri, additional secretary in the defense ministry, told reporters in New Delhi. “This was a long-pending reform.”