Massive protests broke out in India against a new recruitment system for the military. By Pakistan Observer, Angry protesters set the ruling party’s office on fire, attacked rail infrastructure and blocked roads.
According to the newspaper, protests started immediately in 12 districts in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. According to local police spokesman Gaurav Mangly, thousands of people gathered in the city of Navada set fire to the office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), one of India’s two ruling parties, set tires on fire in three districts of the city, and damaged a bus and several cars.
Protesters also attacked railway property in Bihar, set train cars on fire in at least two places, damaged railway tracks and desecrated the station.
Police said protests also took place in the northern state of Haryana and western Rajasthan. Both are traditional recruiting sites for the Indian Armed Forces.
The main argument of the protesters was that they stopped making long-term contracts in the new recruiting system and limited themselves to four-year contracts. According to the Indians, this puts their future lives at risk.
Men and women between the ages of 17.5 and 21 can join the army under the new system, called Agnipath or “fire path” in Hindi. After service, a quarter will remain in the army for another four years. Previously, the armed forces immediately entered into a 17-year contract, which guarantees social benefits after the end of service.
It was previously reported that the first female pilot appeared in the Indian army. It was Captain Abkhalasha Barak who was accepted into the Indian Army Aviation Corps.
According to the publication, Barack completed a training course at the Army Combat Aviation School in Nashik and was successfully released along with 36 male pilots. It is reported that his father was also a soldier with the rank of colonel.
Source: Gazeta
