Samyukt Kisan Morcha, ex-servicemen to launch nationwide campaign against Agnipath tomorrow
India Today
A nationwide campaign against military recruitment scheme Agnipath will be launched by Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), former servicemen and youths on Sunday, August 7.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organisation of farm unions, former servicemen and youths will launch a nationwide campaign against the central government's new military recruitment scheme, Agnipath on Sunday, August 7. They announced the holding of 'Jai Jawan Jai Kisan Sammelan' at selected places between August 7 to August 14 to mark the beginning of this campaign.
"Agnipath scheme is disastrous for national security, armed forces, unemployed youths and farming families. The struggle against Agnipath will continue till the scheme is withdrawn," SKM said.
The press conference was addressed by Major General Satbir Singh, SM (Rtd), Group Captain VK Gandhi (Retired) on behalf of United Front of Ex-Servicemen, Hanan Mollah, Rakesh Tikait and Yogendra Yadav on behalf of Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Aishee Ghosh and Manish on behalf of youth organisations.
"The Agnipath scheme has 'put to an end the tried and tested method of regular, permanent recruitment to the armed forces. It would mean a drastic reduction in the size of the armed forces from the present sanctioned strength of 14 lakh to merely seven lakh," the farmer organisation said.
"This is a serious setback to farming families who have contributed to the nation by sending their youths to the armed forces. The scheme means replacing the bulk of the regular recruitment by contractual Agniveers would seriously hamper operational capacity and morale of the armed forces at a time when external threats to national security are on the rise," it further added.
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"The proposed 'all India, all class recruitment' would severely reduce the share of regions like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal, Uttarakhand, western UP and eastern Rajasthan that have contributed to the armed forces for generations, besides affecting the morale of the regiments," it said.
