Nepal youth demand recruitment under Indian Army's Agniveer programme

Protests have erupted in Nepal demanding the inclusion of Nepali youth in the Indian Army's 'Agniveer' scheme. The agitation began on Friday in the western tourist city of Pokhara.

Former Nepali army officers of the Indian Army's Gorkha Regiment are leading the protests. The demonstration has been intensified ahead of Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Sheth's official visit to Pokhara on August 16.

The protesters' main demand is that Nepali youth be given recruitment opportunities under the Agniveer scheme, and that the recruitment process be started in Nepal soon.

Nepali citizens have long served in Gorkha regiments in both the Indian and British armies. The Gorkha Regiment was formed during British rule. After India's independence in 1947, India, the UK and Nepal agreed through a tripartite agreement to continue the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers.

Currently, the Indian Army has 39 battalions across seven Gorkha regiments. Nepali Gorkha soldiers also serve in the British Army.

However, recruitment of Nepali citizens to the Indian Army's Gorkha Regiment was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and has not resumed since.

In 2022, India launched the 'Agnipath' scheme to reduce defence expenditure and introduce short-term recruitment in the army. Under the scheme, 'Agniveers' serve for four years, including training, with a provision to retain up to 25 percent permanently. The rest are released with a one-time payment under the 'Seva Nidhi' package.

While Nepali youth are demanding Nepal's inclusion in the scheme, the Nepali government does not agree. Kathmandu has said that recruiting Nepali citizens under the Agniveer scheme could conflict with the 1947 tripartite agreement between Nepal, India and the UK.

Source: NDTV