Every citizen plays a role in nation building, regardless of their profession; it’s the value they bring to the table. But then, professions aren’t homogeneous, majority are a routine and few are challenging with an immaterial reward to wear on sleeves.
Military is one such institution, across nations and civilizations; it has been looked upon with honor and dignity, for they’re the defenders of the way we perceive ourselves as nation.
India is no exception to it. With one of the world’s largest military at its disposal, millions of young men and women all over the country aspire to be part of the military.
Not only do they see it as an opportunity in an economy that’s struggling with job creation but are more inspired with a career in the military that gives them a chance to serve the nation in toughest of the conditions available.
It’s a mix bag of patriotism and nationalism that guides the lives of India’s lower and middle class especially within the rural India.
While those who serve the army consider themselves lucky, the opportunity doesn’t come everyone’s way. Agnipath is the reformation to bring this luck to every eligible and aspiring youth, for it allows them to live their dreams and experience the life within military.
Of what’s proposed, there is a guiding scheme to enhance the capabilities of the youth regardless of the future they opt ahead. In this sense, it’s proposed as an honorable way to live and known as Agniveer, a symbolic term that signifies the discipline and skill they’re taught about.
With Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff, terming the scheme transformational reformation to bring about a paradigm shift in human resource management, it’s deemed a way to maintain a balance between young and experienced personnel within the military.
Without a thought, the scheme is suited for inculcation of patriotism, teamwork attitude, physical fitness, loyalty, and more fundamentally availability of youth to meet the requirement in threat situations.
Although, the idea isn’t new in today’s world, the AOC-in- C Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal Dilip Kumar Patnaik in his statement rejected its comparison with conscription military services followed in United States of America, Russia, China, Israel and other countries on multiple counts.
To its defense Air Marshal pointed to voluntary nature of the services and extended time duration offered by the scheme. While emphasizing the benefits of the scheme the Air Marshal correlated the scheme to the national frame work of the Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Air Marshal said, “The scheme would provide India a skilled workforce to achieve its goal in Atmanirbhar Bharat, especially in defense production and other sectors.”
While the military command and the government is absolutely on a single page to defend the scheme, there exists a disagreement among the youth aspiring to join the army on long term basis.
The scheme as proposed will engage more youth every passing year, the fundamental goal of having wider recourses to the defense of nation stands clear.
Which’s why distinction among job and military recruitment has been made clear by the establishment since the very beginning.
In context, the scheme seems inevitable with wider recruitment options and keeping in view the defense requirements of the country, the scheme can be used for mainstreaming the youth in disturbed areas of the country.
Especially, in context of Kashmir, the large scale recruitment options under the scheme will prove helpful on all counts. Besides, it provides an opportunity to the youth to test their skill in county’s highest institution of order.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.