Srinagar, Feb 08 (KNS: The Congress on Thursday said that PM Modi-led government has shattered dreams of 1.5 lakh youth selected in the army and that the "disease of unemployment" has become nationwide.
Addressing a special press conference at Srinagar Congress Headquarters today, National Spokesperson Prof. Ajay Upadhyay said that today the “disease of unemployment” has become nationwide, the entire country is suffering badly from this disease. The youth of the country is facing the highest unemployment rate in 45 years. Meanwhile, Modi government has committed the great crime of shattering the dreams of 1.5 lakh youth selected in the army.
Through Agnipath Scheme, Modi Govt shattered the dreams of 1.5 Lakh youth who were accepted in Armed Forces, by giving grueling mental & physical tests, under regular recruitment.
On 31st January, Shri Rahul Gandhi launched the ‘Jay Jawan’ campaign to ensure justice for them. The Indian National Congress will ensure ‘YUVA NYAY’ through a nationwide campaign – ‘Jay Jawan: Anyay Ke Virudh Nyay Ka Yudh’ launched by Shri Rahul Gandhi in Bihar on 31st January 2024.
The campaign highlights the plight of 1.5 Lakh young men and women aspirants who were accepted into our 3 glorious Armed Services – Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, in a regular recruitment drive between 2019 and 2022 after passing the rigorous selection process, but were denied recruitment, as the Modi Govt suddenly imposed the Agnipath Scheme on the Armed Forces.
‘Jay Jawan’ campaign has two important demands -:
1. Return the jobs that were cruelly snatched away from the 1.5 lakh young men and women when the Agnipath Scheme was introduced.
2. Reinstate old recruitment system in defence forces, scrape Agnipath scheme and provide permanent status to all Agniveers inducted in forces.
The nationwide ‘Jay Jawan’ campaign is being organised in 3 phases and will run from 31 January to 20 March.
PHASE- 1: SAMPARK (Mass Contact)
Target: To reach 30 lakh families
Time span: February 1 to February 28
"Nyaya Patra" (along with a form and leaflet) shall be distributed by the workers of the Indian National Congress (INC) to defense families (current/former) and to request the youth preparing for army recruitment to join and support the movement. The “Nyaya Patra” will be filled by the families with their signatures, and this information will be recorded in digital form, along with the Nyaya Patra sticker will be placed on the door of the house.
PHASE -2: SATYAGRAHA
Target: To reach out to as many youths and their families as possible, gather information and engage them by making them aware of the ongoing campaign.
Time span: March 5 to March 10
Dharna has to be organised in all the blocks/cities and a Coordination Committee has to be formed. This dharna will be organized at Shaheed Chowk or Gandhi Chowk (usually every city has its own Shaheed Chowk or Gandhi Chowk).
PHASE- 3: NYAY YATRA (PADAYATRA)
Target: The aim is to carry out a Padayatra up to 50 kilometers in all the districts.
Time span: March 17 to March 20
“Nyaya Yatra” will be organized for the soldiers in each district, in which a 50-kilometer Padayatra will be undertaken. This yatra will be carried out under the leadership of the Coordinators Committee and Nyay Yoddhas.
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‘Jay Jawan’ Campaign is one of the components of YUVA NYAY – the larger goal of Indian National Congress to provide justice to our jobless youth and fulfill their dreams and aspirations.
As per former Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane (retd) Agnipath Scheme has come as ‘Bolt out of the blue’ for the Armed Forces, as according to him, it was only supposed to be implemented in the Indian Army, but later foisted on Indian Navy and Indian Air Force too. The former Army Chief also informed that initially the retention of the scheme, after 4 years of enrolling as ‘Agniveer’ was 75%, which was changed to just 25%, after the scheme was ignominiously rolled out.
Out of the 1.5 lakh youth that had been accepted by the regular recruitment process, 7,000 of them belonged to the Indian Air Force and 2,500 were supposed to be enrolled as Nursing Assistants in the Nursing Assistants Army (Medical Core).
Moreover, the Army conducted only 97 recruitments across the country in 2020-21, Lakhs of youth participated who passed Physical/Medical and Document Verification and were waiting for Army Recruitment Examination (Final Stage), Army issued admit card for written examination 4 times. Issued, but every time the examination was postponed and announced to be conducted in future.
According to this, more than Rs 100 crore was deposited from more than 50 lakh youth, the result of which was ZERO for both the army and the youth.
The ‘Jay Jawan’ campaign shall also expose how the Agnipath Campaign has crushed the aspirations of our youth: -
(i) The youth selected in Agnipath get less salary than the regular army soldiers (the total monthly salary is only around Rs 21 thousand, whereas the regular soldiers get Rs 45 thousand).These youth do not even get the facility of 'dearness allowance' and 'military service pay'.
(ii) Even after martyrdom, they do not get the status of martyr, because of which their families do not get the support and support that a regular army soldier gets. For example, a regular Army soldier gets full pay for 15 years and his pension is till his lifetime, whereas the family of a youth selected in Agnipath gets the benefits as long as the wife and parents are alive.
(iii) The youth selected in Agnipath cannot avail any kind of medical and other facilities which are available to the regular army personnel, such as:
a) He would get full pay for 15 years and on reaching retirement age, this pay would be converted into his family pension, which would continue to be available to his family as long as his wife and parents are alive.
b) Insurance up to Rs 75 lakh is available on the martyrdom of a common soldier.
c) Ex-gratia amount of Rs 55 lakh is available.
d) Medical facilities are available.
e) CSD facility is available.
f) All types of military benefits which the government announces anytime are available.
(iv) Facing unemployment again even after four years:
a) The youth selected in Agnipath are not guaranteed a permanent job, due to which they have to feel insecure.
b) Rejection of earlier appointments: After the implementation of Agnipath, candidates selected through the earlier recruitment process, numbering 1.5 lakh, are denied joining.
(v) Agniveer will not get this after 'retirement’: -
a. Gratuity, medical facilities, pension, canteen facilities, ex-serviceman status, vacancies reserved for ex-servicemen and their children, scholarships to children and any military benefit that the government will ever announce for regular soldiers will not be available.
(vi) Lack of career opportunities:
a. According to RTI, the number of people who applied in 2022-23 was 34 lakhs, which has decreased to around 10 lakhs in 2023-24. This is a clear indication that the inclination of the youth towards the Army is now decreasing.
b. In recent times, more than 50 lakh applications have been made for the recruitment of UP Constable alone. Instead of becoming Agniveer for 4 years, they are searching for employment in other fields.
These are not the only youth whose dreams have been shattered by the Modi Govt.
1. Unemployment has reached a 45-year high.
The number of unemployed has quadrupled from 1 crore (2012) to 4 crore (2022).
2. One in three graduates is looking for a job; engineers work as coolies and PhDs apply to be railway peons.
3. The government has destroyed MSMEs that generate 90% of all jobs with policies like GST and demonetization and the unplanned lockdown. As a result, the youth have gone back to their villages to low-paying farm jobs.
4. Two unemployed persons commit suicide every hour (NCRB data).
It is high time the YOUTH of India make the Modi Govt accountable for the curse inflicted upon them. India’s Demographic Dividend should not be made a Demographic Disaster!
Prof. Upadhyay said that Our National Security is paramount, and we must ensure that our patriotic youth get permanent job in our Forces.(KNS)