Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday passed a resolution against the Centre’s controversial Agnipath recruitment scheme — becoming the first State Assembly in the country to do so.
The resolution against the new military recruitment scheme, moved by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, was strongly opposed by the two BJP MLAs arguing that there should not be any politics over nation’s security. BJP MLA Ashwani Sharma maintained that the scheme would make our sons self-reliant at a young age, while also getting formal education along with the training.
Other opposition parties — the Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) — vehemently supported the resolution.
Mann, speaking over the resolution, announced that he would soon meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the matter, and put forth Punjab’s concerns.
He lashed out at the Centre for coming up with such a scheme saying that they are “running away from paying pensions”.
Taking a dig at the saffron party regarding the scheme, Mann asked the BJP leaders to get their sons recruited as “Agniveers” and later engage them as security guards outside BJP offices across the country.
Responding to Ashwani Sharma’s contention that Agniveers will also get formal education while getting trained, Mann asked if they would hold a book in one hand and a gun in another while sitting on a morcha.
“Do not show them false dreams. Just say that you do not have money to pay pensions. We see ex-servicemen in awe in Punjab. We celebrate them. But you have snatched loyalty towards their country from them by making them hired soldiers,” said Mann while asking the Centre to rollback the scheme at this stage, or review it after talking to all stakeholders.
Asking the BJP “not to mislead” the people, Mann asked what would happen to an Agniveer who dies while fighting on the front or on duty. He pointed that the serving soldiers and ex-servicemen get pension, get discounted products in army canteens, they were been looked upon, respected across all categories; and now they wanted to take away all this.
“There is no point in letting people protest for a year and then withdraw it,” said Mann, making an apparent reference to the Centre’s three controversial farm laws that now stand repealed.
Insisting that there should not be any politics on the issue of defence and nation’s security, BJP MLA Sharma said: “When the chiefs of all the three defence services have supported the scheme, and explained in detail the need for this, who are we to criticise it. Are we wiser than them to condemn it?”
Sharma argued that this would not be a job, “but training for four years. The Agniveers will be self-reliant at the age of 21. Army wanted to have a young force. Why are we calling it a service? How many IAS appear for exam and pass the prelims and become IAS...a few of them. Moreover, our children, at the age of 17 and after Class X, would also get formal education, be it graduation or some diploma of their choice. Is there any such scheme that would give us a disciplined, skilled, and patriotic young force?” he asked.
He added that the educational degree that they will get will be recognised world over.
“25 per cent of the total would go in the Army, while 10 per cent would go to the CRPF...even some of the state governments have suggested to subsume them in the state police force...can we think on these lines...Don’t we want a disciplined, trained force?” he added.
Speaking on the resolution, the Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa said: “Why it happens so that whatever decisions the Centre takes, there is turmoil across the country. The Centre is following US and Israel while formatting this scheme but is confronted by two enemies, China and Pakistan, who are neighbours and nuclear-armed. China has taken over our land but we do not confess that. Pakistan is always trying to foment trouble. I request the Centre, ‘don’t play with fire’.”
Citing the state’s contribution in armed forces, right from the times of Sikh military and Sikh regiment, Bajwa asked if a contractual employee can fight for a country. He asked the Centre if the country is not capable enough to pay its army.
He accused the Central Government of running away from giving them pension. “My suggestion is to revoke it. And if not, if you want to go ahead, them please clarify that 25 per cent of the total will go in the main army and the remaining 75 would go in the paramilitary...I can’t say if there would be any deeper motive in training these youngsters at the cost of nation that they would be used at a later stage for some other purpose,” he added.
Bajwa said that the scheme should be withdrawn “as you can’t make a soldier in four years’ service out of which 18 months go into training and vacation”. Asking that resolution be sent through the Governor to the Central Government, Bajwa urged the Chief Minister to take a joint party delegation from Punjab to Modi for the scheme’s withdrawal.
Jails Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the scheme is to mislead the countrymen in the name of employment. Those who had been preparing for entry into the armed forces for the past two years should be compensated, he added.
The resolution stated that the “unilateral” announcement of the Agnipath Scheme by the Government of India has witnessed widespread reactions in all States, including Punjab. “Punjab Vidhan Sabha strongly feels that the scheme where youth will be employed only for a period of four years and only up to 25 per cent will be retained, in the best interests neither of national security nor of the youth of this country. This policy is likely to create dissatisfaction among the youth who wish to serve the armed forces of the nation for a lifetime,” it said.
The resolution added, “It must be highlighted that more than one lakh soldiers from Punjab serve in the Armed Forces of the nation and many of them give the supreme sacrifice of their life on the borders of the Country every year. The youth of Punjab consider serving in the Indian Armed Forces as a matter of pride and honour and are renowned for their valour and courage. This scheme has crushed the dreams of many youths of Punjab who have been aspiring to join the Armed Forces as regular soldiers. The scheme also has the propensity to weaken the long-standing esprit de corps of the Armed Forces. Through this Resolution, this House recommends to the State Government to take up the matter with the Union Government in order to roll back the Agnipath Scheme immediately.”
BBMB member would be from Punjab
BJP MLA from Pathankot Ashwani Sharma said that a member of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) would be appointed from Punjab. This has been clarified, he said, adding that by now, the government must have also received this information. Opposing the resolution on centralisation of PU, Sharma said: “Stop distrusting us on the issue of Punjab. We are as much for Punjab as you are. But the Government should not try to cover up its inefficiency to fight the case in the court.”
PM to visit Punjab soon to inaugurate Ferozepur PGI satellite centre
Punjab BJP president and BJP MLA from Pathankot Ashwani Sharma informed the House that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will come to Punjab soon to inaugurate the PGI satellite center at Ferozepur. He was responding to the issue raised by AAP MLA from Ferozepur Rural Rajnish Dahiya.
AAP’s Garhshankar MLA is Deputy Speaker
AAP’s two-time MLA from Garhshankar Jai Krishan Singh Rouri was unanimously elected the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. Rouri’s name was proposed by AAP MLA Prof Baljinder Kaur, and seconded by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Later, the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann installed the Deputy Speaker on the Opposition benches, next to the Leader of Opposition’s seat. Congratulating Rouri, Mann said that he was a hard working MLA, who used to be a wedding photographer and also had a studio. He expressed hope that Rouri would be fair in the House despite sitting amid the Opposition. Rouri said that he would come true to the expectations and fulfil his duties fairly. He thanked the voters of his constituency for sending him to the assembly.