On 17 June 2022, the youth in several cities held protests against the Agnipath Army Recruitment Scheme, mainly around railway stations. The protests turned violent, especially in Bihar, leading to several train coaches getting burnt and a minister’s house being attacked. This was unprecedented. The government had announced the scheme on 14 June. I did not realize the implications of this new recruitment programme until I saw the anger on the faces of the youth and in their body language.
About The Author
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd
Kancha Ilaiah Shepherd is a political theorist, author and activist. He has been a professor of Political Science at Osmania University, Hyderabad and director of the Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy at Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad. He is the author of ‘Why I Am Not a Hindu’, ‘Buffalo Nationalism’ and ‘Post-Hindu India’
