Agnipath protests spread to Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode

In the state capital, the protestors took out a march from Thampanoor to Raj Bhavan. In Kozhikode, a similar protest was held in front of the railway station.
Massive protests were organised in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on Saturday.  (Photo | Express)
Massive protests were organised in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on Saturday. (Photo | Express)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ KOZHIKODE: The ongoing nationwide protests against Agnipath spread to Kerala when scores of youths took to the streets to protest against the Union Government's controversial recruitment scheme for the Armed Forces. Massive protests were organised in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on June 18.

In the state capital, the protestors took out a march from Thampanoor to Raj Bhavan. In Kozhikode, a similar protest was held in front of the railway station.

It was around 9:30 AM that around 500 youth gathered in front of the Thampanoor Railway Station. Gradually, the number of protesters surged, catching both the police and the authorities unawares. Hundreds of youngsters reached Thiruvananthapuram from different parts of the state.

The protesting youngsters expressed their anguish at being denied jobs in the Armed Forces. Most of them are awaiting the next round of recruitment after passing the physical test in 2021. Their demand is that the Combined Entrance Examination (CEE) scheduled earlier and later postponed six times, should be held at the earliest.

A 22-year-old P S Pranav from Kulathoor in Neyyatinkara told The New Indian Express that he reached Thampanoor after the applicants' WhatsApp community decided to hold a protest march on Saturday.

"I sweated a lot to pass the physical and medical tests. For the last 18 months, the authorities were taking us on a ride. Recruitment to BSF and CRPF were held under the aegis of the Staff Selection Commission. The pandemic was never an issue on their recruitment," said a dejected Pranav.

In Kerala, 5000 youth are waiting to write the CEE. It was during last February -March that the recruitment rallies were held in the state.

Due to the pandemic, the Army recruitment rallies were postponed across the country over the last two years. The central leadership of the CPM and Congress have rallied behind the protesters.

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The New Indian Express
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