Bengal News: Due to lack of jobs, a large number of youth are forced to leave the state in search of work
Calcutta: Anushka in Bijoygarh, Ipsita in Regent Estate, Indrashis in Bhawanipur and Vatsala in Bangur.They don’t know each other, but there is one situation that binds many of Calcutta’s young people – the compulsion to move out of the city because there are not enough jobs here.The demand for jobs was strong among young voters across Calcutta on polling day.Many who got their fingers inked on Saturday came from Chennai, Bangalore and elsewhere, where they found what they couldn’t in their hometowns – jobs matching their qualifications.
They voted because they wanted to send a message that whoever comes to power should have job creation at the top of their “to do” list.”I always worry about my family. But I am hundreds of miles away. I was forced to move out because there were not enough opportunities here,” said Anushka Guha, a 22-year-old engineer working for a multinational information technology services company in Chennai.
Anushka’s mother and grandmother live in Bijoygarh. She suffered severe head injuries after falling at her home a few months ago.
“I felt very helpless. I am not alone. There are many people like me who have been forced to leave Bengal due to lack of jobs,” Anushka said outside a polling booth inside a school in Bijoygarh in the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency.
Vatsala Poddar, 25, voted at Bangur Town Hall, which is part of the Barasat constituency. She shifted to the Karnataka capital six months ago to work in the marketing team of an e-commerce company. Prior to this, she worked for a different company in Calcutta for two years. Vatsala said there are “limited growth opportunities” here.
“There is a huge difference in salaries between Calcutta and other big cities. The cost of living is rising. But a well-paid job can compensate for inflation,” Vatsala said.
Sourish Dey, 21, is pursuing an MBA course from a private university in New Town. The course fee is around Rs 8 lakh. “It is a lot of money. My father had arranged it. I should get a well-paid job so that I can live up to his expectations. But given the job situation in Bengal and the response from seniors, the prospects in Calcutta seem bleak,” he said.
Most people who spoke to this newspaper said they were surprised to see that the mainstream election campaign did not give due importance to the need to create more jobs.
The election campaign has seen toxic polarisation. The BJP’s campaign has constantly changed – from Developed India by 2047 to spreading fear about the Congress manifesto and alleged appeasement of Muslims. The Trinamool, on the other hand, has made a splash of welfare schemes like the Lakshmi Bhandar.
“From what I have seen, most leaders have not talked about jobs as much as they should have,” said Tiyasha Goswami, 22, a voter in Chinar Park in Barasat constituency.
Tiyasha, who is pursuing a postgraduate multimedia course from St Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Calcutta, said she was “very scared” about employment prospects “not just in Bengal but across the country”.
“Not everyone can manage to go abroad,” Tiyasha said outside a polling booth.
The Indian economy, despite its GDP figures, has failed to generate enough jobs for the country’s large and growing young population.
Ipsita Moitra, a techie at a pharma company in Bengaluru, voted at a school in Regent Estate. “I am aware of the freebies and doles given by the Mamata Banerjee government. I have no problem with them. But the focus should be on job creation,” Moitra said.
Indrasish Majumdar, 29, who lives near Jadubabur Bazar in Bhawanipore (Kolkata South), works in a tech services company in Pune. His father has a serious kidney problem and requires regular dialysis.
“It’s a pity I can’t live with my parents. They have spent a lot on my education. Now I have to take care of them financially too. Living in Calcutta I can’t earn as much as other metro cities,” he said after casting his vote on Saturday.
Kaustav Ghosh, 24, who voted in New Town (Barasat), was worried about the rising cost of education. Kaustav is pursuing an MBA course. “The cost of these courses is rising across the country. But job prospects are dwindling. The future is uncertain for us,” he said.
