Time to ensure one member from every household joins armed forces, says Mamata's nephew Abhishek

Time has come for the legislature to discuss and legislate to ensure that one member from each household joins the armed forces, said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday.

"In the years gone by, there have been informal discussions with regard to the participation of a member from each household in the armed forces. I believe the time is ripe for the legislature to discuss this issue in earnest," Abhishek Banerjee tweeted.

He also stressed the need to provide bullet-proof jackets to jawans, before having the bullet trains in the country. "Our jawans keep our borders safe. They sacrifice their lives so that we can stay safe. Before bullet trains, we need bulletproof jackets for our jawans. Today is the time, more than ever, to stand by them," he said.

It is worth mentioning that when military needs people to fight in a war, but there are not enough volunteers, sometimes they will begin conscription, which is a law that says if you are able to fight, you have to fight. Also called the draft, conscription legally requires people to join the army, with penalties if they don't.

Abhishek has also announced to donate his three months' salary as an MP to the funds meant for the welfare of armed forces. He urged elected MPs and MLAs to inspire their children and grandchildren to join the armed forces.

Expressing solidarity with the martyred CRPF jawans, Trinamool Congress led by its supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also took out a candlelight march in the state capital recently.

In a ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, as many as 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost their lives when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive laden vehicle into the convoy of armed forces while they were moving from Jammu to Srinagar in Lethpora area on February 14 around 3:15 pm.

Pakistan based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed the responsibility of the attack. Security forces on Monday gunned down the mastermind of Thursday's attack-Kamran, JeM commander. However, four Indian Army soldiers including a Major-rank officer were also martyred in the overnight encounter with the JeM terrorists.