Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 26: The Government of India has ruled out providing military training to all youth of the country including those hailing from Jammu and Kashmir on the ground that this could lead to militarization of the entire nation.
“With our socio-political and economic conditions, it is highly undesirable to give military training to youth of entire country. Some of the unemployed youth trained in military skills could join ranks of `undesirable elements’ (the militants),” a document placed in Lok Sabha by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has said.
It added: “India is a democratic Republic and the Constitution does not provide for compulsory military training. In our democratic set up, people are free to choose their professions. Compulsion in respect of military training, it is felt, would go against the democratic ethos”.
The Government of India’s stand in the Lok Sabha came amidst three private member’s bills moved in the Parliament by three Members of Parliament (MPs) including the one by BJP’s own Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Avinash Rai Khanna, who happened to be Incharge of the BJP for Jammu and Kashmir.
The Defence Minister’s stand has also set at rest the moves within some Sangh Parivar organizations to provide military training to the youth to tackle militancy and Naxalism in various parts of the country. These organizations had often raised the demand that the youths should be trained militarily to take on the menace of militancy and Naxalism as it was not possible for the Government to deploy security forces and police in every nook and corner of militancy infested States.
“Armed Forces in India have a large number of volunteers to draw upon and there is no problem in getting adequate number of volunteer recruits. All the youth of the country, therefore, do not compulsorily need to be given military training,” the Government document has said.
It added that training all the youth in the country would require establishment of a very large number of training centres equipped with the necessary wherewithal all over the country and would also involve huge expenditure in their maintenance and upkeep.
“The likely benefits of imparting military training to all the youth will not be commensurate with the expenditure involved in such an effort. This would translate into an unmanageable figure and will also be a big drain on limited resources of a developing country,” the document said.
It pointed out that at least three private member’s bills were introduced in the Parliament seeking providing of military training to the youth.
One of the private member’s bill has been received from Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP in the Lok Sabha in which he had sought to provide compulsory military training to all able-bodies citizens of the country. However, consequent on appointment of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the member-in-charge, as a Minister, the bill was removed from the Register of Bills pending in Lok Sabha.
Another private member’s bill was received from Avinash Rai Khanna, MP Rajya Sabha, which too had sought to provide compulsory military training to all youths in the country. The bill did not find favour with the Government. However, President’s recommendations were obtained and forwarded to Rajya Sabha Secretariat for consideration of bill in Rajya Sabha, where the bill is pending.
As per the document, yet another private member’s bill was received from Dr Bhola Singh, MP Lok Sabha with the same subject as that of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
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