Agnipath scheme: Hundreds rally as protests spread in Kerala

While more than 700 youngsters marched to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, hundreds took out a rally to the railway station in Kozhikode.
Army job aspirants protesting against the Agnipath scheme in Kozhikode  on Saturday | Express
Army job aspirants protesting against the Agnipath scheme in Kozhikode on Saturday | Express

THIRUVANATHAPURAM / KOZHIKODE : The raging protests against the Agnipath scheme have reached various parts of Kerala too. Hundreds of Army job aspirants took out marches in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, raising ‘we want justice’ slogan. While more than 700 youngsters marched to Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, hundreds took out a rally to the railway station in Kozhikode. This apart, the SFI organised protest marches against the scheme in all districts.

The Raj Bhavan march began from the Central railway station, Thampanoor, in which youngsters, including candidates who are awaiting the next round of recruitment after having passed the physical and medical tests in 2021, assembled. The protesters demanded that the Combined Entrance Examination scheduled earlier and postponed six times should be held at the earliest. It is learnt that the protest call was shared on a WhatsApp group which has 1,000 youngters in southern districts as members.

V A Sijin Mon,22, from Neyyattinkara, told TNIE that it was their WhatsApp group admin, Manikandan, a YouTuber, who urged them to reach the capital city on Saturday. “We decided to hold the protest in view of the Centre’s decision to cancel the previous tests which we had attended,” he said.

Another protester, P S Pranav of Kulathoor, said: “I sweated a lot to clear the physical and medical tests. Authorities have been taking us for a ride for the past 18 months. Recruitment to BSF and CRPF were held under the aegis of Staff Selection Commission,” said.

Yechury, Satheesan rally behind protesters

“The pandemic was never an issue for their recruitment,” said Pranav. The protesters were unable to hand over their memorandum to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as he was out of station. Later, they approached Thiruvananthapuram District Collector Navjot Khosa and handed over their petition.
“It was a peaceful protest and we did not face any issues as they had sought prior permission. They raised slogans and dispersed after a while,” said Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner G Sparjan Kumar.

In Kozhikode, the march was taken out under ‘Justice for Army students’ forum. Aspirants waiting for Army recruitment marched from the Moffusil bus stand to the Kozhikode railway station. Youths from Kannur, Kasaragod and Malappuram, who have been enrolled for CEE 2021, took part in the protest. “Around 200 Army job aspirants gathered here. We have been preparing for the army recruitment for more than one-and-a-half years. Many of us had completed medical and physical fitness tests in 2021. But they purposely delayed the entrance examination,” said Vibin Lal from Kannur, one of the protesters.

Due to the pandemic, army recruitment rallies were postponed across the country for the past two years. In Kerala, 5,000 youths had been waiting to appear for CEE. It was during last February-March the authorities held recruitment rallies in the state.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan rallied behind the protesters. Satheesan urged the Centre to roll back its decision to implement the scheme.
“The Modi goverment’s ploy is to bring corporate style of functioning in the armed forces. There is uncertainty in the corporate job sector. Bringing the same in the Army will affect the force’s discipline,” he said.

PUT AGNIPATH ON HOLD, CM TELLS PM

T’Puram: With the country witnessing widespread protests, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put the Agnipath scheme on hold. In a tweet on Saturday, the CM pointed out that the raging protests against the scheme are a clear indication of the sentiments of youngsters in the country. In the interest of the country, the scheme should be put on hold, in addition to addressing the criticism raised by professionals and the apprehensions of the youth, Pinarayi said.

On Saturday, Kerala too witnessed major protests in front of Raj Bhavan here and in Ernakulam and Kozhikode. Meanwhile, the CPM leadership too urged the Union government to withdraw the scheme. The CPM will support protests against Agnipath, said party general secretary Sitaram Yechury. Speaking to reporters after the party central committee meet, Yechury said the Opposition parties will field a common candidate in the presidential election.

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