Blaming migration and medicines, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Saturday mentioned fewer youth from Punjab are becoming a member of the Military’s Sikh Regiment.
At an occasion on the Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur, Mann mentioned the Western Command Normal Officer Commanding-in-Chief had informed him that the regiment was going through a shortfall in recruits and had sought the federal government’s assist.
“Just lately, the top of Military’s Western Command met me. He informed me a really worrying factor and I used to be saddened to listen to this.
He requested for the federal government’s assist saying that the Military was not getting sufficient recruits for the Sikh regiment. There’s such an enormous historical past of gallantry of Sikh Regiment however right now there will not be sufficient youth obtainable to be recruited in it,” mentioned Mann on the April 3 occasion.
The CM attributed the decline to widespread migration overseas and drug habit.
“The reason being that both the youth are migrating overseas or medicine have ruined their our bodies. They’re now not match and can’t move exams. I guarantee him (Military Commander) that we are going to assist the Military in direction of this function and we are going to defend the legacy of the Sikh Regiment which has a protracted document of bravery,” Mann mentioned. Chatting with The Indian Specific, Brigadier (retd) I S Gakhal, a former Commandant of the Sikh Regimental Centre who’s intently concerned in regimental actions within the area, mentioned that the CM was right. “We can not reveal the precise numbers by which the recruitment falls brief however suffice to say that the state of affairs shouldn’t be nice,” he mentioned.
He mentioned there are a number of causes for the poor response to the recruitment drive for the Sikh Regiment. The first cause, he mentioned, is migration, however added that there’s additionally a reluctance to hitch the Military beneath the Agnipath scheme.
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“The youth in Punjab has additionally bodily declined in requirements. The Sikh Regiment and veterans of the regiment have despatched teams to every district for recruitment consciousness. Now we have registered over 10,000 youths for this function. These kids will now be given teaching for the aggressive examination for recruitment,” mentioned Brig Gakhal.
Requested about the way forward for the regiment if the variety of recruits stay inadequate, Brig Gakhal mentioned this will result in disbanding of 1 or two battalions or the regiment having a combined class of troops, one thing that was experimented with throughout Gen Ok Sundarji’s tenure as Military Chief within the Nineteen Eighties and failed.
“The Punjab CM might have made assurances to the Military Commander of assist however they have already got an organisation to educate youth to hitch the Military, Centre for Coaching and Employment of Punjab Youth, which ought to have been doing one thing concerning the shortfall,” he mentioned.
He mentioned the state ought to make sure that the Agnipath scheme is considered extra favourably and reserve post-demobilisation authorities jobs for Agniveers.
