Give Punjab''s youth an opportunity

Manpreet Singh Badal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent speeches-particularly his exhortation against drug abuse and his various spiels with the motif of “Make in India” and employment generation — while seemingly earnest do not strike a chord with youngsters in Punjab. This is understandable because tragically Punjab is an epitome of all the malevolence against which the Prime Minister has cautioned its young citizens. With the BJP being hand in glove with the Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab, where drug abuse is rampant, local manufacturing is moribund and unemployment is all pervasive, one cannot help but sadly empathise with the youth of the state.

 A few days ago this newspaper carried a staggering news report that confirmed the worst fears of people of the state that not only is the state in the grip of severe unemployment but also that the government seems blissfully unaware of it.

And here let me first expose the inanity of the so-called employment exchange argument which seemingly suggests that unemployment in Punjab has come down and is one of the "lowest" in the nation.  

This employment-exchange-data "argument" is exactly the sort of nonsense and statistical sophistry that people in the state have no patience for. The use of this argument to substantiate its bogus claims shows how divorced the government is from the needs and aspirations of the people. How many youngsters in 21stcentury India, where the median age is a shade less than 27 years, would ideally go to an “employment exchange” to find a job? The very image of young men, queuing up in front of a solitary window of an employment exchange pleading with the over-officious clerk is a throwback to a pre-liberalised India. The modern Indian worker of the 21stcentury is versatile and highly mobile and works in fields such as IT, biotech, media, banking, pharmaceuticals, retail, financial services, hospitality and knowledge process outsourcing. The more adventurous of the lot follow their entrepreneurial ambitions. While reading a recent news report, I marvelled at all the Indian firms that have a valuation in excess of $2 billion and are less than a decade old, were started by people who are below 35 years! In any modern Indian sector, it is the employer who is worried about "high attrition" and not the young employee who changes jobs and organisations with minimum fuss!

While this is the archetypal image of a young India, it is far removed from what youngsters in Punjab have been reduced to.  During my travels abroad my heart pains when I see youngsters from other parts of India excelling as knowledge workers but youngsters from Punjab working as taxi drivers and petrol pump operators. This is not to say that any profession is bad. It is to the credit of Punjabi youth's indomitability that they work hard for a better life, despite their state's education system and government having failed them totally. Just imagine that with the sort of strong work ethics that our young men and women possess, where would they be, in case they were supported by an education that was relevant in the 21st century!

Writing about the late 1970s situation in Punjab, eminent author Khushwant Singh had written that decreasing returns from agriculture after the peaks of the Green Revolution, land fragmentation and the government's incapability to create fresh jobs were the reasons behind many frustrated youngsters joining the ignoble cause of the secessionists and terrorists in the 1980s. With the emergence of peace and sanity, it was hoped that Punjab's politicians would have learnt from their mistakes. Sadly, it was not to be.

Our clusters of small-scale industries at Ludhiana, Mandi Gobindgarh, Jalandhar, Amritsar, SAS Nagar, Ropar and Ferozepur, which had the potential of making Punjab an export destination, revving up the manufacturing sector in India and providing employment opportunities-all that the Prime Minister mentions during his “Make in India” appeals-have sadly been reduced to a pitiable state due to years of neglect and apathy. Over the years the hosiery industry of Tirupur has gained dominance over that of Punjab; when companies such as ITC procure wheat, they don't come to Punjab but instead go to Kota and Madhya Pradesh; when international cricketers come to cherry pick their bats, they head to Meerut and not to Jalandhar; when people talk of success of agriculture and food processing, they talk of Nashik and not Punjab; and Haryana replaced Punjab as the sports nursery of India almost a decade ago.

While our government remained neglectful, the rest of India, despite lacking in the natural bounty of Punjab, has stolen an immense march on us. Neeraj’s stirring lines best capture our condition, “Paon jab tak uthe zindagi phisal gayi… Carvan guzar gaya, Gubar dekhte rahe”.

In a tragic reminder of the grim reality, a young woman attempted self-immolation in front of the Chief Minister's residence. While by no means is her action justified but it does exemplify the sheer despair facing the state's youngsters. Why would a young Indian, who has a whole life in front of her, attempt a measure so desperate and painful? Clearly, she has been disappointed by the system she had put her trust in. If in her formative years she had chosen to migrate to another nation or another province, maybe she would not have been unemployed. But can you fault her for choosing to live in the land of her birth? I for one always believe that by their very nature, youth are optimistic, full of energy and willing to work hard.  Give them opportunity and they will put up a dazzling performance. But when they find their efforts frustrated for no fault of theirs, their innate energy manifests in more unfortunate violent forms. Remember, the Arab Spring started on December 17, 2010, when 26-year-old Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against the confiscation of his livelihood and humiliation by government officials of Tunisia.

My appeal to youngsters of Punjab is not to resort to any such violent methods and to steer clear from drugs. You have justifiable reasons of resentment and anger but this no way to showcase your angst. The Prime Minister is right when he appeals to you to channel your energies for the betterment of India but my appeal to the Prime Minister is that Punjab' s youth is desperate to contribute to the betterment of India and to be a part of India’s onward march, but she doesn't get any opportunities. At least provide them with an enabling ecosystem. This is the least they deserve from their Prime Minister.