Questions rise once again on Agnipath scheme

The family of Akashdeep Singh (20), an Agniveer who died in the line of duty in Jammu on May 15, is refusing to immerse his ashes in the holy waters till he is declared a martyr.

Without any pension, gratuity or medical benefits under the existing scheme for Agniveers who die during short duration of service (four years), his family is shattered. They are now looking for a helping hand from the Punjab government — which has not done anything till now.

Balwinder Singh, father of the deceased, says “Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan attended our son’s funeral. No one from the government has contacted us ever since nor given us any assurance. We don’t even know what we should ask for. Let the government see.”

He said: “We are not immersing his ashes till the government addresses our situation of having lost a very young son in the line of duty. This case could be an example for families of other unfortunate Agniveers.”

Earlier deaths of Punjab Agniveers

Agniveer Ajay Singh (23) was killed in a landmine blast near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district in January 2024. He belonged to an underprivileged family from Ramgarh Sardaran village of Payal division in Punjab’s Ludhiana district. A few days later CM Mann handed over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to his family.

In October 2023, Agniveer Amritpalpal Singh committed suicide by shooting himself while on sentry duty with the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles. He was denied the military honours as he had died because of self-inflicted injuries and did not qualify.

No state-wise data on Agniveer strength is available. In the overall perspective, Punjab accounts for 7-8 per cent of the Army manpower — which is the second highest after UP.  Annual intake varies from year to year, depending on retirements and “wastages”.

What is Agnipath scheme

Introduced in June 2022, the Agnipath scheme recruits youth aged between 17 and a half and 21 on a contractual basis for four years. The scheme provides for induction of 25 per cent of the Agniveers in the Army, Navy and Air Force. The remaining are given a lumpsum and a ‘Seva Nidhi’ certificate before they are sent back to their homes.

The selected Agniveers are engaged as Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) for 15 years in the Indian Army and at an equivalent post in the Navy and Air Force.

Why the opposition

The scheme has been criticised by the opposition right from the beginning, particularly by the Congress, because it offered no gratuity or pensionary benefits to soldiers who risked their lives. Only 25 per cent will be engaged, leaving the majority 75 per cent in the cold without any financial back up after four years.

Even BJP allies in the NDA, including the Janata Dal (United), have pointed out lacunae in the Agnipath scheme and its impact on lives of young soldiers. The government has at different points of time said that it was open to look into the allegations of lacunae in the scheme.

Political parties have also demanded that the upper age limit of the Agniveer recruitment should be increased to 23 years.

After martyr Ajay Singh’s family met Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha had averred that the government doesn’t acknowledge him as a martyr and the family won’t receive a pension or compensation.

Voices of difference in Punjab

Demanding scrapping of the scheme, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called it “discriminatory”. He sought the government to revert to the traditional recruitment practices by regularising all Agniveers. He said, “When a soldier dies in the line of duty, he must be given due respect. Denying martyr status and compensation is an insult to their sacrifice.”

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa accused the Punjab government of selective generosity. “While the families of the victims in the recent hooch tragedy were given Rs 10 lakh each, it is indeed sad that a soldier’s family is being ignored,” he said.

It may be remembered that former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, himself a soldier, had suggested reviewing the Agnipath scheme for recruitment in defence forces, saying “it will dilute the long-existing distinct ethos of regiments”.

In June 2022, he had questioned the rationale behind the scheme saying: “These regiments have been performing well in their present character so why change it? I do not agree at all with this move. These regiments have their own traditions and way of living. How do you expect a person who is not from that background to understand that?”

Punjab Vidhan Sabha resolution against Agnipath

The Punjab Assembly in July 2022 passed a resolution against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme, underlining the drawbacks of short-term recruitment to the armed forces.

CM Mann said, “The unilateral announcement of the Agnipath scheme by the Government of India has witnessed widespread reactions in all states, including Punjab. This scheme is against the country’s youth. It is likely to create dissatisfaction among those who wish to serve the armed forces for a long time.”

He has also announced that he will take the state objections to the scheme with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Punjab