Since February of this year, Russia has started a special military operation in Ukraine in order to neutralize the enemy. Moscow has referred to the operation to “eliminate a serious threat and demilitarize Russia’s southern neighbor.” For the last four months, Russian and Ukrainian forces are battling and the losses are numerous on both sides. Meanwhile, the whole West is helping Ukraine with military aid, equipment, and financial aid to rein in Russia, but no such results have been seen, despite the additional factor of keeping Moscow isolated from the international market.
This war could have been contactless as Moscow has the world’s best arms/ammunitions and military. But in order to get its interests secured, the forces were brought into the battlefield. Similarly, in the Afghan war, the United States and allied forces brought their armies to Afghanistan in the name of the war on terror but left out by leaving a bleak future for the people of the country.
As it is reported that all the powers are importing arms to cement their defense capabilities but it consumes a larger chunk of the country’s budget. The same is the case with India, it has a large military and the country remains one of the largest importers of arms. To minimize the defense expenditures, India has announced a recruitment plan, called Agnipath, also known as the “path of fire” on 14 June. PM Modi’s government announced an overhaul of recruitment for India’s 1.38 million-strong armed forces, looking to bring down the average age of personnel and reduce pension expenditure.
The proposed scheme will bring in men and women between the ages of 17-and-a-half and 21 for a four-year tenure, with only a quarter retained for longer periods. But the aspirants, who had dreams of joining the forces, were shattered, with analysts criticizing the short-sightedness decision.
The whole country was in protest and the youth were saying that they were cheated, wondering where they will go after four years of service. India’s National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, in an interview said that the scheme will not be rolled back, adding that there is a change in the armed forces’ make-up is necessary if the country wants to prepare for future wars and conflicts. NSA Ajit Doval explained that “The idea of war is undergoing a great change. We are going toward contactless wars, and also going towards the war against the invisible enemy. Technology is taking over at a rapid pace. If we have to prepare for tomorrow, then we have to change”.
The term contactless wars and the invisible enemies can be understood to some extent, but when it comes to India, it is complex. The country is at loggerheads with China in Arunachal Pradesh and the Line of Actual Control. With Pakistan, though it had agreed to hold the ceasefire, the recent past shows, that normalcy is hard to be maintained. In Kashmir valley, its armed forces are on their toes, when it comes to fighting militants and rebels.
In India itself, the issues in Assam, Nagaland, and other areas are burning from time to time. In such a case, the idea of contactless wars and fighting the invisible enemy is hard to digest. Though Indian central leadership argues that it is best for the country’s defense and economy, many believe it is politics, and now has been trumped by the reality of economics.
The government later announced that a quarter of forces recruited through the scheme will be hired in government departments, but the stark reality is otherwise. With the visible religious, political, and ethnic fault lines, the decision can backfire. Minorities are experiencing diminishing pluralism and violence against them is on the rise. The effect of India’s “Agniveer” proposal will not solely be on its military or the economy. It will also have a direct bearing on Indian society. The demobilized short-term contractual soldiers could provide a major recruiting pool for such groups who wish to use violent means to pursue their ideological goals. The consequences of such an eventuality will be catastrophic.
