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Journalism of Courage
Amid raging protests by youths and students against the Centre’s scheme for short-term contractual recruitment in the armed forces, Agnipath, the ruling BJP’s biggest ally, Janata Dal (United), has been vocal in its reservations about the scheme. JD (U) leader and national spokesperson KC Tyagi speaks to The Indian Express on his party’s stand over Agnipath and related issues. Excerpts:
Now that anti-Agnipath protests seem to be peaking, do you demand the withdrawal of this scheme?
There is an urgent need for communication with protesting youths. Second, retired officers of armed forces, youth representatives and government should sit together to review the Agnipath scheme. We are not asking for its withdrawal but a relook at the scheme, given the scale of youth anger.
Do you think rural India would lose significant employment opportunities with the rollout of this short-term scheme?
In UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana besides Bihar, armed forces jobs hold biggest attraction. These jobs are somehow related to rural economy. Even though our jawans are paid low salary, yet they send a good portion of their salary back home.
In a way, defence jobs are the biggest poverty eradication programme besides giving the soldiers the opportunity to serve the country with passion. I often see the youth doing running practice on the national highways. Sentiments of young job aspirants are surely hurt with the short tenure job that Agnipath offers. This is where the matter needs to be looked at sympathetically and holistically.
What should be a comprehensive employment model for the NDA government?
The NDA government has surely taken up several measures but we need to go back to the Gandhian model of cottage industry. Let the small scale and large industries co-exist.
Had villages been autonomous and self-sufficient, people would not have migrated from villages. Bihar has immense potential in agro-processing sectors. Likewise, other states can also explore ethnic products. We are witnessing youth anger today because we are not able to create jobs in villages and small towns.
Do you think the NDA may lose a big constituency of youth with Agnipath?
I do not think so as PM Narendra Modi has taken serious steps to arrest their drift. He rolled back Land Acquisition Bill and also took back three controversial farm laws in the past. I think he would address youth’s concerns and find a solution to the present crisis.
With Agnipath now, the JD(U) has got another point of disagreement with the BJP. Does your party disagree more with the ally BJP than agree with it?
These are not disagreements. Rather, we are putting forth our points of view on important policy matters. Even during the tenure of PM Atal Behari Vajpayee, we differed and the BJP did set aside some controversial issues like the Uniform Civil Code. We also differed with the BJP on the NRC. We also differ with the BJP over population control. When an NDA government minister says in Parliament that population rate is going down, why is the Bihar BJP asking for population control law or extra measures to curb population. Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM and JD(U) supremo) is right in saying no to any legislation for population control.
