Agnipath protests move to southern states: Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode show dissent
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THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ KOZHIKODE: When many youths took to the streets against the Central Government's controversial Armed Forces recruitment scheme, the nationwide protests against the Agnipath echoed in Kerala as well. Mass protests were held in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on Saturday.
In the capital city, protests were carried out from Thampanoor to Raj Bhavan. A similar protest happened in Kozhikode, where people marched in front of the railway station.
About 500 youths gathered in front of the Thampanoor railway station around 9.30 am. The number of protesters slowly increased, surprising the police and authorities. Hundreds of youths came to Thiruvananthapuram from different parts of the state for the protest.
These youngsters protested the denial of jobs in the armed forces and expressed pain. Most of them are waiting for the next round of recruitment after passing the 2021 physical test. They want the Combined Entrance Examination (CEE), which was earlier scheduled and later postponed six times, to be held as soon as possible.
PS Pranav, 22, a native of Kulathoor in Neyyatinkara, told The New Indian Express that he came to Thampanoor after the WhatsApp community of applicants decided to hold a protest march on Saturday.
"I sweated a lot to pass the physical and medical tests. For the last 18 months, the authorities were taking us on a ride. Recruitment to BSF and CRPF was held under the aegis of the Staff Selection Commission. The pandemic was never an issue on their recruitment," said a dejected Pranav.
5000 young people in Kerala are waiting to write the CEE. Recruitment rallies were held in the state during the previous months of February-March.
Army recruitment rallies across the country have been postponed for the past two years due to the epidemic. The central leadership of the CPM and the Congress have also lined up behind the protesters.