West Bengal, where Assembly elections are due in barely eight months from now, on Wednesday rolled out a scheme for the youth to make them self-reliant. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is known for her populist schemes which she uses effectively during election campaigns.
“Today is International Youth Day. [The West Bengal Government] is committed to empowering the youth. A new scheme Karma Sathi Prakalpa was launched by Bengal Govt. One lakh unemployed youth will be provided soft loans and subsidies to make them self-reliant,” Ms. Banerjee tweeted on Wednesday.
Youth Day
It was through her tweet that many came to know that August 12 is observed as International Youth Day. Since 1984, India has been celebrating the birthday of Swami Vivekananda — a son of Bengal — as the National Youth Day.
“When the unemployment rate in India is at an all-time high of 24%, [the] unemployment rate in Bengal [has] reduced by 40%. Youth of Bengal led the nation many times in the past and will continue to do so in the future,” Ms. Banerjee said in a subsequent tweet.
“We are proud of our youth. They are the future. The new generation will take our nation forward. The youth are talented, skilful, hardworking. Their dreams of today will become a reality tomorrow,” she added.
There were many who weren’t impressed by her announcement. One young man replied to her tweets saying that nearly 2,500 young men and women who, irrespective of religion, taught at 235 State-approved madrasas hadn’t been paid their salaries for years. Many others said they hadn’t yet got jobs as teachers in spite of qualifying in interviews. People like them pointed out that if they got the jobs or the salaries that were due to them they would automatically become self-reliant.
