Maoists depict 'Agnipath' a fascistic move

HYDERABAD: The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has condemning the Centre's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruiting youth into the Indian Armed forces.

The extreme left-wing party in a statement on Sunday stated that the scheme was put forth by the government in a conspiratorial manner to suppress the mounting discontent of people with the rising problems of daily life. The party believed that this scheme was an instrument of suppression of people in the name of employment generation.

The Maoist party said that this would be nothing but 'forcible recruitment of youth to minimize government expenditure.

The scheme would help training youths in Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP theory and ideology and the agenda to make India a 'Hindu state'. "A wide army is going to be formed that shall transform the country with the slogan 'One nation one everything' to suppress workers, peasants, middle-classes and other such oppressed classes, the revolutionary party that is leading them, revolutionaries and each and every voice that questions it. This scheme shall take the country towards 'One nation, one police."

The 'Agnipath' scheme, which was announced by the Centre of June 14, would recruit youth between 17 and 23 into the armed forces, train them for six months and allow them to serve for four years. After their course of service, the scheme does not guarantee permanent recruitment or pension unlike the old scheme where soldiers were allowed a 15-year tenure with lifelong pension.

The scheme is receiving resistance from across the country. Many opposition parties have also shown their defiance towards the scheme. Riots broke out in many states including Bihar and Telangana where youth turned to violence and destruction. They are demanding for the scheme to be withdrawn and for the old scheme to be retrieved.