Agnipath Protests: SFI & DYFI Face Brutal Police Attack
Student Struggle Editorial Team
Leaders and activists of the New Delhi units of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), along with Rajya Sabha MP from Kerala and DYFI All India President, Adv. A A Rahim, were attacked and arrested by the Delhi Police today, for protesting against the BJP Union Government’s Agnipath Recruitment Scheme, introduced on the 14th of this month. As per this, soldiers below the rank of commissioned officers can be recruited into the three services of the Indian armed forces as a new military rank, bypassing various welfare measures now available to army personnel like pension, long tenures, and the like. The scheme has already garnered controversy and widespread criticism from various quarters of the country for having been introduced without lack of public consultation or public debate.
Below is the SFI and DYFI’s joint statement:
On 19th June 2022, SFI Delhi and DYFI Delhi gave a call for “Parliament Chalo”, protesting against the Agnipath Scheme. It is a continuation of the ongoing protests across the Nation against the contractualisation of the armed notice.
The brutality of the central government to repress the voice of protesting youth should be condemned. Today, Delhi Police brutally detained the activists who were marching towards the Parliament, including DYFI President and Member of Parliament, A A Rahim, DYFI General Secretary, Himagnaraj Bhattararchya, SFI General Secretary Mayukh Biswas, DYFI-Delhi Secretary Aman Saini, SFI-Delhi Secretary Pritish Menon and JNU Students’ Union President Aishe Ghosh. Activists were harassed by the Police where women activists were assaulted by male constables. Several activists suffered injury whereas one activist’s clothes were torn apart. The brutality was of such an extent that even a Rajya Sabha MP was not spared.
The repression on the voices of youth highlights the autocratic nature of the Central government. We condemn the arrest of Sagar Gautam, Secretary of SFI-Saharanpur, UP, and Nirangkush Nath, Secretary of SFI-Assam, who was arrested from a conference at Tinsukia. All of them were arrested due to their participation in the Agnipath Protests there yesterday.
The new recruitment policy is a disaster for the aspiring youth of the nation. This policy will result in generating more than 35,000 jobless recruits looking for work each year. As of 2021 the Indian Army had a shortage of 104,653 personnel. Moreover now the central government has decided to recruit through short-tenure conscription of four years, after which three-fourth of the soldiers will be retired without pension or gratuity. The policy is a direct threat to the sovereignty of our Nation. The Neoliberal agenda of the central government aims for contractualisation of every job in the country. The latest threat to the Military recruitment is another attempt to dilute and privatize the public assets of the country.
SFI and DYFI will continue to resist this scheme of the government. We call upon the students, youth, and all progressive organizations to protest against the police brutality and the farcical Agnipath Scheme.
Sd/-
AA Rahim (All India President, DYFI)
Himagnaraj Bhattacharya (General Secretary, DYFI)
VP Sanu (All India President, SFI)
Mayukh Biswas (General Secretary, SFI)
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