Army recruitment on hold, morning run in UP villages is hope — and despair

There are dozens of them here this morning at the Tilak Intermediate College ground in Kotwa village, nearly 25 km from Prayagraj, running, exercising, anything for that elusive Army “bharti”.

Meanwhile, they wait on, not even applying for other jobs, turning up at the ground every morning, touching its soil to their forehead before starting the day, hailing each other with the Army greeting “Jai Hind”, and on Diwali, crafting a map of India out of diyas and colours. The scenes play out in village after village here, morning and evening.

Army aspirant Ranjit Kushwaha at Soni village. (Express photo by Shyamlal Yadav)

Anuj Gaur, who belongs to Kotwa village, is now 23, “overage for soldier (general duty)” and hence trying for Territorial Army. Claiming none of his family members or even neighbours will vote for the BJP, an angry Gaur says: “Politicians have no problem with election rallies. But Army recruitment drives are stopped in the name of Covid!”

With #Army recruitment on hold, the morning runs in #UP villages are a hope, and despair for dozens of aspirants who dream of joining the Army and are racing against the upper age limit.

Most aspirants start trying out at the age of 17, with the next eight years or so a race against the upper age limit. Several try for police as well, though Army is clearly the first preference for many. Like Gaur, several are over the 21 age limit for soldier (general duty) and seething against the government.

Since 2015, recruitment rallies can be organised in an area only with prior registration. While before 2019-20, recruitment from each district was done at least once in the recruiting year, a reply by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the Lok Sabha on February 11 this year showed that no such exercise could be held in 2020-21 due to Covid.

Army aspirants at Kotwa celeberate Deewli in this way. (Pic provided by aspirants)

On Tuesday, for the second time during the poll campaign, Rajnath faced angry slogans by youths asking why recruitment was on hold. The first incident was in Gonda, and Tuesday’s at Ballia.

The upper age limit for soldier (general duty) – the bulk of the force – is 21 years, whereas for soldier (technical) and soldier (clerk), it is 23.

At Soni village on Sunday morning. (Express photo by Shyamlal Yadav)

Kushal Yadav, 26, who missed the bus for soldier and is now preparing for Territorial Army, while training others at the Kotwa ground, says that since 2019 nearly 50 from the area have dropped out after crossing the age of 23. “They left for small jobs in metros like Delhi, Surat, Mumbai.”

Daksh Tiwari, 18, exercising at the Kotwa ground, says he doesn’t really care who comes to power. “Sarkar chahe jiski ho, raaj chahe jo bhi kare, mujhe rozgaar chahiye. Mujhe vardee chahiye (Whoever forms the government, whoever rules us, I need employment. I need the uniform).”

In a mango garden in Soni village, nearly 3 km away, Ranjit Kushwaha, 23, is practising push-ups with a tractor tyre. He hopes the government will open recruitment soon and take into account the years lost due to Covid, giving concession to those who have crossed the age limit.

They have put all their chips on an Army job, Kushwaha says. “We ignored our studies because of the rigorous practice for Army entry. If we are out from competition because of delay in recruitment, we will be neither here nor there.”

Preparing to run at Kotwa ground on Sunday morning. (Express photo by Shyamlal Yadav)

Both these villages fall under the Phulpur Assembly seat. The sitting MLA is Pravin Patel, formerly with the BSP, who won last time on a BJP ticket. His main opponent is Mujtaba Siddiqui, also an ex-BSP leader, and MLA from nearby Pratappur. Siddiqui is contesting on a Samajwadi Party ticket.

Hope runs even stronger at the Mewalal ground in Soraon, which has been seeing youths come for practice since the ’70s and from where several have made it to the armed forces. Rajkumar Patel, from village Jadavpur, 6 km away, is apprehensive he will cross the age limit too if recruitment does not start by November. “I have been practising here since 2017, every day for four-five hours.”

Their family will vote for the cycle (the SP) this time, Patel says.

The Soraon Assembly seat is reserved for SCs and the sitting MLA is BJP ally Apna Dal (S) candidate Jamuna Prasad Saroj. The SP nominee is Geeta Pasi of the SP, who unsuccessfully contested the same seat on a BSP ticket in 2017.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public meeting in Prayagraj on Thursday, in support of candidates of the BJP and its allies in the district.

Azad Yadav, 29, who is at the ground from a nearby village, says since 2019 he has seen the average number of aspirants drop to around 50 at a time, from 150. “The government just doesn’t seem to understand,” says Vikas Yadav. “Recruitment may be in any numbers but if it is on a regular basis, candidates feel motivated and optimistic.”