Activists from SFI and DYFI were detained as they protested against the Agnipath scheme. Protesters claim that the Police and Government are oppressing their peaceful struggle. Read ahead to find out more.
On 19 June 2022, Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) had called for a protest against the recently launched Agnipath policy at Jantar Mantar. Activists from the organisations along with Rajya Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) A.A. Rahim, SFI General Secretary, Mayukh Biswas, SFI Delhi state Secretary, Pritish Menon, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ union (JNUSU) President and SFI Delhi State Vice-President Aishe Ghosh were detained from the protest site.
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All the activists were first taken to the Dwarka police station and then brought to Mandir Marg police station in the evening of the same day. Further, they were taken for MLC (Medico Legal Case). After MLC, they were presented before the Magistrate where they were informed of being arrested. According to SFI, cases had been registered with severe false charges. Women detainees had been released on bail. Few male activists had been locked up and some activists had been sent for MLC which had been continuously delayed.
SFI has strongly asserted that both the police and the government are directing all their force towards oppression. According to SFI, they are oppressing even the protests that are carried out in democratic and peaceful manner against the policy.
SFI believes that the Central Government’s new military recruitment scheme is a disaster in the making and a danger to India’s sovereignty. For the last two years regular military recruitment has not taken place. As of 2021 the Indian army had a shortage of 104,653 personnel. According to SFI, the Central government, adding insult to injury, has now decided to completely do-away with regional quotas, and has decided to go with short-tenure conscription of four years, including the 6 months training period. After four years, about three-fourth of the soldiers will have to retire without pension or gratuity.
SFI stands with the view that the policy will result in generating around 35,000 jobless recruits looking for other work each year, leading to militarisation of society over time. The organisation claims that the policy will also drastically affect the morale and professionalism of the forces that defend our sovereignty. SFI claims that as the armed forces serve to be a source of secure and long-term employment for lakhs of youth every year, this policy will put an end to that for good. They stated that the neo-liberal path followed by the central government involves the contractualisation of every job possible. According to them, this has led to the complete annihilation of the job security and financial stability of working people of this country.
Through this policy the government has also opened the doors to mercenary recruitment of trained and unemployed soldiers by the imperialist forces of the world.”
-VP Sanu, President, SFI, and Mayukh Biswas, General Secretary, SFI
In their words, the central executive committee of SFI vehemently opposes these neo-liberal attacks on the Indian people and our sovereignty and demands for the immediate repealing of the Agnipath Scheme, and conducting regular recruitment to the armed forces.
On the evening of 20 June 2022, the activists were released after being in custody for over 24 hours. The activists claim that they were harassed and a lot of them were made to starve. They asserted that this did not affect them and they continued with their struggle against the policy.
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Featured Image Credits: SFI Delhi
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