UP: Villages Known for Sending Youths to Army Claim 'Dreams to Don Army Uniform' Shattered

Ghazipur/ Deoria: Gahmar, set on the banks of the Ganges in the Ghazipur district of the Purvanchal region, is the largest village in India known for sending a large number of youths to the armed forces. Almost every home in the village has a member who has either served or is presently serving in the armed forces. Perhaps this is the reason why this village is called the ‘village of soldiers’. 

‘SHATTERED DREAMS TO DON ARMY UNIFORM’

Ever since the Agnipath scheme was announced on June 14, Sandeep Singh (name changed), a native of Gahmar village, has been doing rigorous physical training for the last couple of years in the hope that one day he will get a chance to serve in the Indian Army and carry forward the legacy of his village and family; his just one dream --- to don the Army uniform has been shattered now. 

Sandeep is not alone in the village. Rahul, Sudhakar, Abhinav, Vasudev, Rohit, all of them have been inspired by their family members (grandfather, father and uncle) who have either served in the Indian Army or are still keeping a tight vigil on the border. Inspired by war veterans like Abdul Hamid, martyred during the 1965 War, the youngsters want to join the Army to continue the legacy of the village. They expressed disappointment over the Agnipath scheme, saying it sowed seeds of uncertainty over their aspirations and future.

“We are spending eight to seven-eight hours a day (4:30 am to 8:30 am and 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm) doing physical training, while preparing for physical training including running along with old-style free weights, long jumping, pull-up bars, dip bars and benches. Besides, we either go for coaching classes for written tests or self-study. This has been our routine for the last three years. But the new scheme is demoralising,” said Abhinav, 20, one of the aspirants in the village whose father and three uncles are serving in the Army. 

However, he hopes that the government will consider extending the tenure of service to ten years and include a pension as a benefit.

For them, enrolling in the Army would serve a dual purpose – to serve the nation and ensure livelihood and take care of their family. “The short-service scheme is threatening our dreams. What is the guarantee of getting a decent job if we are sent back after four years?” another youth wondered.

Meanwhile, it is important to mention that around 150 youths from Gahmar village had cleared physical tests but not been called for the written exam. For the last two years continuously, they have been getting assurances that a written exam will be conducted, but no official announcement has been made. Suddenly, the Agnipath scheme has ruined the years of hard work of aspirants. 

Ex-servicemen in the village felt the government should not “compromise the nation’s security and dreams of aspirants” by introducing such a short service programme in the defence force. “In our village, at least 1,590 boys cleared the physical and medical tests in the recruitment rally in 2020. They are waiting for the written test. They were dejected after hearing about the scheme,” Lt Col Rambachan Singh told NewsClick.

Locals claim that over 5,000 men from Gahmar are currently serving in the military and paramilitary forces. The village also has an equal number of retired soldiers.

About 100 drive from Ghazipur’s Gahmar, there is another village named Paina in the Deoria district, considered the third largest village in the state and also known for sending boys to the Indian Army and paramilitary forces. Amid growing protest against the Agnipath scheme, Army aspirants and ex-servicemen voiced discontent about the Union government’s decision to roll out the short-service scheme.

Sumit Singh, 22, a native of Paina village, said, “I am already 22. Even if I get selected and serve for four years, what will I do once I return at 26? How can I be so sure that I’ll be the one among the 25% who will be the one among the 25% who will be absorbed for permanent commission? This scheme has to go,” Sumit voiced. 

NewsClick correspondent met a group of twenty aspirants at a ground in the village who had been preparing for the Indian Army for the past three years and were optimistic about getting selected and serving the nation. But ever since the scheme was announced, most of them have decided “to stop training and look for a private job.”

Retired subedar major Surjit Singh Barnala and Abhimanyu Singh said the scheme posed several unanswered questions about the future of the recruits. They would be devoid of any benefits - pension, free medical care and army canteen facility - under the scheme. “The lack of clarity about the scheme is annoying everyone in the village,” they said. 

The aspirants in Gorakhpur’s Bansgaon village expressed anger at the development. Gagandeep Singh said, “Most of the youth of our village have been dreaming of becoming an army officer one day and also preparing for this with all capacity. We have been training with the hope that one day, recruitments will take place, and some of us will get through. We would also take pride as a fauji one day. But who cares for a fauji that returns after four years with nothing in hand?” Singh said while his voice choked with emotions, 

All three villages -- Gahmar, Paina and Bansgaon -- have a largely Thakur population, and they all take pride in their connection with the armed forces.

The aspirants said that If a case is registered against them, it will jeopardise their chances of getting into the Army. But they are also worried that after doing hard work for six to eight hours a day, it has turned into a nightmare for them after the new scheme. 

387 ARRESTS, 34 FIRs IN UTTAR PRADESH

Violent protests have erupted in several parts of the state. Eastern Uttar Pradesh, also known as Purvanchal, especially Ghazipur, Ballia, Chandauli and Deoria, has become a hotbed of such protests, most of which have targeted trains and railway stations.

As protests against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme continued in Uttar Pradesh for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, police on Sunday said that they have so far arrested 387 people and registered 34 FIRs in connection with the violent protests that broke out on Friday.

In a statement issued on Sunday evening, UP Police said that out of the 387 arrested people, 145 were booked under Section 151 (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences) of the CrPC. Others arrested have been booked under various IPC sections, including rioting and damage to public property.

In Chandauli, some youths torched a private vehicle during a protest on Sunday before they were dispersed by the police. A senior police official said that three persons were taken into custody in connection with Sunday’s incident that took place under the jurisdiction of Chandauli’s Alinagar police station.

“The protesters indulged in stone-pelting for a few minutes, but the situation was brought under control.” said a police official.

In Barhaj, a small town that falls under the Deoria district, some youths gathered and pelted the police with stones and bricks.

“All the sensitive places were identified, and a heavy force was deployed. These students communicated through a WhatsApp group and gathered at the bypass in Barhaj and started throwing stones and raising slogans against the Agnipath scheme. Then, they headed to a petrol pump and indulged in vandalism there. We will lodge an FIR based on a complaint from the petrol pump owner,” said Barhaj SHO Jai Shankar Mishra.

Another police official said, “The youths also apparently stole money from the salesmen at the petrol pump and set two vehicles on fire there. Ten people have been taken into custody and are being questioned.”

Saharanpur police on Sunday arrested five “fake Army aspirants” for allegedly planning violence and protests at the railway station in the district. The five were identified as Munnu, alias Mainpal (23), Arjun (19), Deepak (19), Shubham Kumar (24) and Deepak (19).

In a statement, Saharanpur SSP Akash Tomar said, “We have arrested five fake Army aspirants from under the jurisdiction of the Rampur Maniharan police station. Of the five, two are office-bearers of political parties, and the others are members. They were instigating genuine Army aspirants to protest. One of them is the district chief for the youth wing of a party, and another has been a Zila panchayat member from another party. They are being sent to jail, and we are ensuring action against those instigating Army aspirants.”

Ballia police had on Saturday night said that they had so far arrested 124 people in connection with the violence and arson at the Ballia railway station on Friday morning during a protest against the Agnipath scheme. A coach of a parked train was set on fire on Friday by youths there.

Ballia SP Raj Karan Nayyar said the accused had been booked for rioting, endangering the life or personal safety of others etc. and were sent to jail. “They were booked by the GRP,” said Nayyar