Photo for representational purpose only. - File photo
Pratibha Chauhan
Shimla, May 12
The issue of Agniveer recruitment in the Army is likely to resonate in the Lok Sabha polls in the state of Himachal, once referred to as a 'money order economy' due to a large number of people serving in the armed forces.
There is tradition of at least one member of each family in Himachal joining the army or other para military services. There are 1.29 lakh ex-servicemen residing in the state besides 80,000 people serving in the armed forces presently. There is highest concentration of ex-servicemen and serving soldiers in Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi and Una districts.
Former Union Union Minister Anand Sharma, who has jumped into the electoral fray from Kangra on the Congress ticket, is raising the issue of Agniveer recruitment in the army at every political rally. In a bid to woo the faujis, both serving and retired, he has promised that if voted to power Congress will do away with this scheme and revert back to the earlier process of recruitment.
The youth in Himachal too had expressed their apprehension about the Agniveer scheme as they would get recruitment for a mere four years, including six months training. With Kangra parliamentary seat having 68,943 ex-servicemen besides over 25,000 serving soldiers, the support of this section and their families could prove to be crucial in deciding the fate of the candidates, especially in Kangra and Hamirpur.
In Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, the number of serving soldiers and officers is about 22,000 while there are 31,141 retired faujis. As such the fauji vote in Kangra and Hamirpur could play a significant role in deciding the victory of the two main candidates, BJP and Congress.
Ex Sergeant Ranjit Singh Katoch of the Indian Ex-services League, Palampur expresses concern over the possibility of the quality of soldiers getting compromised due to Agniveer in the army. “In the long run, it will prove to be very counter-productive as dedicated youth are averse to a four-year recruitment,” he says.
Four valiant officers from Himachal have the honour of getting the PVC. This includes Maj Som Nath Sharma, the first recipient of PVC in 1948, Maj Dhan Singh Thapa (1962) and Capt Vikram Batra and Rifleman Sanjay Kumar during Operation Kargil.
The BJP had fielded a Kargil war hero Brig Khushal Thakur during the 2021 Mandi Lok Sabha by-poll. He lost by a thin margin to Pratibha Singh. In the past Maj Gen Bikram Singh (retd) had won the Lok Sabha election from Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat on the Congress rally. Four-time Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur too has joined the Territorial Army, becoming the first serving army to do so.
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