Will the Agniveer issue impact the vote?

Market : Kotli village is about 16 km from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh. Here, someone from almost every house is in the Indian Army. Even now the youth are preparing to join the army. But, there is resentment among the youth about the Agniveer scheme. Congress is trying to cash in on the resentment about the Agniveer scheme. Bhupendra Singh says, ‘My younger brother was preparing to join the army. Recruitment did not happen due to Covid and then when it happened, it was said that now recruitment will be done in Agniveer. he/she could not get recruited and many of his/her friends have also given up the dream of joining the army. The reason for this is that there is neither any pension nor the status of martyr on death.’ Then he/she starts explaining in detail how two different categories of Agniveer and soldiers have been formed. he/she asks whether the value of the life of both is different. he/she says that the youth are angry about the Agniveer scheme, but still many youth are joining the army under the Agniveer scheme for four years out of compulsion.

We met a woman at a Dhaba in a village near Mandi. She runs the Dhaba with her husband. When we talked about the elections, she clearly said that they are Modi ji’s supporters, so the vote will go there. When we talked about Agniveer, she told us that her son had cleared the physical test for army recruitment, only the written test was left. But, in between the Agniveer scheme came and the old tests were cancelled. My son is very angry and says that he/she will not vote for BJP at all. I am convincing him/her to vote for BJP. I don’t know what he/she will do while voting.

Congress is trying to capitalize on the issue

Agniveer is becoming an issue in Himachal Pradesh. Congress is also cashing in on it. Congress has promised that if its government comes to power, it will scrap the Agnipath scheme and implement the old system of recruitment. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is also continuously mentioning it in many of his/her rallies. When some youths were talked to about the Agniveer scheme near the Mandi bus stop, a youth said that Congress has made a promise but it is not known what they will do. he/she said that many promises were made even before 2014 but were they fulfilled? A youth said, ‘I prepared for recruitment in the army for three years, then the Agniveer scheme came. he/she said that instead of going for four years, I am now managing my father’s shop. When asked if he/she is angry with the BJP over Agniveer, he/she said that he/she will not be happy now. Will he/she vote due to this anger? In response to this, he/she just laughed.

Questions were raised in the assembly elections

Ever since the implementation of the Agniveer scheme, it was opposed because the Agnipath scheme was implemented suddenly and there were thousands of youth whose medical, physical and other exams were over and only the call letter was pending. All those processes were cancelled. It was also said that now recruitment as Agniveers will be for four years. Even during the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, the Congress had raised the issue of the Agnipath scheme and opposed it. In the elections, the BJP was ousted from power and the Congress government was formed in Himachal. There are about 1.30 lakh ex-servicemen in the state. There are about 1.25 lakh people serving in the army from the state. There are about 30 thousand widows of soldiers. If seen in this way, about 9-10 lakh people are from the families of soldiers or ex-servicemen.