Agnipath protests unfold to Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode

By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/ KOZHIKODE: The ongoing nationwide protests towards Agnipath unfold to Kerala when scores of youths took to the streets to protest towards the Union Government’s controversial recruitment scheme for the Armed Forces. Massive protests have been organised in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode on June 18.

In the state capital, the protestors took out a march from Thampanoor to Raj Bhavan. In Kozhikode, an identical protest was held in entrance of the railway station. 

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It was round 9:30 AM that round 500 youth gathered in entrance of the Thampanoor Railway Station. Gradually, the variety of protesters surged, catching each the police and the authorities unawares. Hundreds of children reached Thiruvananthapuram from completely different elements of the state.

The protesting kids expressed their anguish at being denied jobs within the Armed Forces. Most of them are awaiting the subsequent spherical of recruitment after passing the bodily take a look at in 2021. Their demand is that the Combined Entrance Examination (CEE) scheduled earlier and later postponed six occasions, must be held on the earliest.

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A 22-year-old P S Pranav from Kulathoor in Neyyatinkara informed The New Indian Express that he reached Thampanoor after the candidates’ WhatsApp group determined to carry 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 were held under the aegis of the Staff Selection Commission. The pandemic was never an issue on their recruitment,” mentioned a dejected Pranav.

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In Kerala,  5000 youth are ready to put in writing the CEE.  It was throughout final February -March that the recruitment rallies have been held within the state. 

Due to the pandemic,  the Army recruitment rallies have been postponed throughout the nation over the past two years.  The central management of the CPM and Congress have rallied behind the protesters.