At least one dead, dozens injured in protests against India's new military recruitment policy

At least one dead, dozens injured in protests against India's new military recruitment policy
Young people across India are protesting against a new recruitment system for the country's military.
2 min read
18 June, 2022
Indians set fire to vehicles and train coaches in protests against the government's new military recruitment scheme [Getty]

At least one person died and several others were injured in India on Friday in protests against the government’s new army recruitment policy.

The man reportedly died in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad in Telangana state in the southern part of the country. Videos of protestors setting fire to train coaches and throwing rubbish onto the tracks at Secunderabad railway station have spread on social media. 

The police opened fire at the crowd, but it is unclear if the man was killed as a result of police fire.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government last week announced a major change to the recruitment to the country’s armed forces, which aims to bring in people on short, four-year contracts. Only a quarter of these will be retained after that, and the rest would be retired with no pension benefits. 

In the past, those serving in the Indian army, navy or air force were recruited separately and typically served for seventeen years. 

Potential recruits are protesting the move, as they want to be able to serve in the army for a longer-term and avail the pension fund which, to many who belong to the lower economic classes, is an essential lifeline as they grow older.

Protestors demonstrated against the new policy across the country, with policemen being forced to use batons and tear gas to disperse the crowds in the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. 

Opposition parties have also criticised the move, saying that poorly trained soldiers with little experience would be sent to fight under this policy, and it would lead to more unemployment in the long term.