PACHU MENON
The recent spate of thefts and robberies in the state where the complicity of teenagers in commissioning the crime has garnered headlines has shaken the very foundations of a civilized society which has all along had every reason to content that the innocence of childhood is the precursor to an orderly generation. With a distinct penchant shown for stealing mobiles and lifting two-wheelers catching the fancy of the younger felons, it was assumed that a fascination for
living their lives in the fast lane was consuming them.
Moreover, with many of the arrested coming from well-to-do families, a presumption that it was merely a fondness for showing off that was driving them into committing such audacious acts was not misplaced either.
But when these stray cases involving children move over from the realms of childish insolence to materialize into premeditated crimes, it is time to sit up and take a strict view of the happenings in their totality.
Frankly speaking, things have taken a turn for the worst with teens today taking to a life of crime with an ease that is baffling. No matter what child psychologists have to say about these turn of events, there is something more disturbing which goes beyond mere audacity.
Hardly do youngsters take to a life of crime without some external factors influencing them to do the unimaginable. Where experts would reel out a number of reasons one more nasty than the other, I would dare proffer unemployment as the major culprit that has had a debilitating effect on our society. For, in these modern times where unemployment has assumed gigantic proportions, a bleak future beckons the youngsters.
First and foremost, over the years politics in India has evolved a system where in sharp contrast to the sinking fortunes of the ‘Have Nots’ with every change in government, the ‘Haves’ have continued to prosper no matter which dispensation helmed the government at the centre.
While admitting that defective planning has created a wide gap between supply and demand for labour, changes which could augur well for a healthy employment scenario however continues to elude the policy-makers.
On the other hand the proliferation of a multitude of Universities across the country has led to what is popularly called educated unemployment or white-collar unemployment.
Ours is not a country that has taken kindly to the concept of dignity of labour. Jobless or not, educated youngsters still shy away from doing menial tasks considering the social implications attached. It is high time youngsters learnt that all occupations, whether involving intellect or physical labour, deserves equal respect. It is wrong to discriminate anyone on the basis of his work. If unemployment serves as one of the indicators of an economic status, India would be a pathetic ‘low performer’ by that scale.
While the exodus of intelligentsia worries the nation to no end, what exactly has it done to halt the hegira! Year in and year out, universities in the country are churning out countless graduates in various streams. Can all of them be guaranteed decent placements! If it is a lack of opportunity that is driving educated youngsters en masse to foreign shores, a dearth of chances deters the not-so-lucky, leaving them to suffer the unpredictability of an unwaged life.
And to top it all, our faulty education system has made a colossal contribution to this dilemma! Our failing education system however does not seem to have invited the type of disapproval that would have improved things for the
better.
Scoring high percentage in examinations has gained precedence over quality education with a thrust on employment. It is indeed a mystery that in spite of having PTAs as an essential part of the modern education system, parents have never risen in revolt against the curricula prescribed.
It is amidst such a setting that technology has been making rapid strides globally. With machines replacing ‘manpower’, the situation has become all the more worse. Automation is already threatening the livelihood of thousands and will have a momentous effect on the employment scenario in the coming years. As against the tediousness at Dabolim International airport, Kempegowda International airport in Bangalore sees no such long queues for check ins thanks to a system which allows passengers to print their own boarding passes and baggage tags. The drastic reduction in manpower was quite evident though! No doubt automation has added to the ease of travelling, but in India it is still in the nascent stage and will take some time for ‘realization’ to sink in.
Initiatives that deprive job opportunities will always invite public criticism but continue to be persisted with deeming them as the necessities of time!
Economic revival of the country calls for such technological innovations to cut down on overheads and other liabilities, it is claimed. However, it is the youngsters who are at the receiving end of all these progressive deliberations.
Without suitable job opportunities to benefit from, the youth will no doubt go astray. As against common misconceptions, it is not always the thrill of living life in the fast lane that prompts some youngsters to commit crimes but the dreadful thoughts of an uncertain future that drives them on this suicidal path.
Finally, there is a limit to how long a human being can continue ‘slogging’. Moreover, retirement of an employee in any organization is an opportunity for a fresh appointment. So this becomes a natural order. However, the proclivity shown by various organizations, including the government, to hang on to an employee even after his/her retirement is an unhealthy trend that needs to be discouraged.The indications that retirement age of government staff would soon be enhanced can only be considered as retrogressive steps vis-Ã -vis the unemployment issue.
Self-employment schemes with appropriate funding by the government may not have all that many takers considering that not many are primed to be in an entrepreneurship mould.
Coming to the crux of the matter then! When all avenues of employment are summarily blocked, how best can a nation utilize the services of its young citizens! Addressing unemployment issues would to some extent check crimes involving youngsters. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop!
