Cong fears jobless Agniveers may join NE insurgent grps

Guwahati: The Assam Congress has expressed fear that the “Agnipath” scheme may become a big threat to internal security in insurgency-hit northeast. Protests have erupted in upper Assam districts against short-term contractual recruitment in the armed forces.
According to police officials, a large section of youths recruited by the banned Ulfa (Independent) have been from the upper Assam region.
“It has been observed that there is a tendency among unemployed youths to join Ulfa (I). This problem may surface among the Agniveers as they would remain unemployed after completing four years. These highly trained youngsters would be lapped up by Ulfa (I),” Congress MP from Kaliabor (Assam), Gaurav Gogoi told TOI on Saturday.
He urged the government to find a solution to the unemployment crisis.
The Assam PCC held a news conference here on Saturday when working president Rana Goswami said the scheme would push the entire northeast into turmoil.
A group of youths clashed with the police in Jorhat on Friday demanding the withdrawal of the Agnipath scheme. More protests are scheduled on Monday. The Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti, a student wing of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, once led by peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, is the first organisation to mobilise the youths against ‘Agnipath’.
“In 2021, more than 1,000 youths from across seven districts passed the medical and physical examinations for the army general duty posts. They were not recruited and now uncertainty looms large,” said Golaghat district working president of SMSS, Bichitra Bora.
He said if a new scheme is implemented, the youths who have already qualified may not be physically fit to reappear. “Unlike other parts of the state, we are not advocating violent protests. The two rounds of protests in Golaghat and Jorhat since yesterday have been non-violent,” Bora added.
“If the tenure of the armed forces personnel is reduced, the same policy should be adopted for chief ministers and MLAs. Their term should also be reduced,” said a Jorhat youth.