‘Unemployment, lust for power drawing teenangers towards crime’

Jaswant Shetra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 24

Involvement of youngsters in a deadly robbery committed at a petrol station in Patiala has once again put a spotlight on teenagers taking to criminal activities.

Though youth forming gangs is not a new trend but its tendency has increased manifold in Punjab. During last one decade, a large number of gangsters have cropped up in the state who have restorted to extortions, murders, robberies etc.

Unemployment, drug addiction, disturbed childhood, poverty, lust for power and money are some of the basic reasons which are driving Punjabi youngsters towards criminal activities.

Moreover, hype generated on social media is also considered as a major reason that attracts youths towards the world of crime.

Dr Baldev Singh, former District Education Officer said, “Unemployment among educated youth is a major factor behind this issue. Besides, lust for power and earning quick money is driving Punjabi youth towards crime. There have been countless examples of educated but unemployed youth taking the path of crime before us. But once you choose this path, it is almost impossible to return to the mainstream.”

Dr BP Mishra, senior psychologist at the Department of Psychology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital said, “Sometimes, youngsters take to the path of crime due to their disturbed childhood. The hardships they faced during their childhood days make them impulsive and insensitive. They do not think about the consequences and only think about earning quick money.”

He said, “Parents need to spend maximum time with their children and should make them aware about good and bad ethics.”

Educationalists feel that the government and parents need to be sensitive towards their kids. “The parents play most important role in shaping future of their children and they need to understand their physical and psychological needs. The teenagers should be provided a positive environment so that they can be raised in a better way,” said a renowned educationalist Mohinder Kaur Grewal.