Jobs not there, but life must go on

EDUCATED YOUTHS are learning to live with shrinking job opportunities. Knowing that a Rs 500 unemployment dole is not going to do them much good, today?s youths are opting for treading paths that was till sometime ago outside the realm of their imagination.

EDUCATED YOUTHS are learning to live with shrinking job opportunities. Knowing that a Rs 500 unemployment dole is not going to do them much good, today’s youths are opting for treading paths that was till sometime ago outside the realm of their imagination.

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Operating an autorickshaw, vending vegetables or dishing out lip-smacking delicacies are options that the youths have taken up. For them it is not a half-hearted endeavour but a challenge that they are undertaking with all sincerity and honesty.

Rajesh Kumar, who holds an MSc degree, owns and operates an autorickshaw. The vehicle has been his source of livelihood for the past two years. After doing his masters he tried for a job, but it never happened.

“I always wanted to be a lecturer. But destiny made me an autorickshaw puller. I want to survive and I need to earn. So why complain,” Rajesh added philosophically.

That Rajesh prides his job is evident when he said, “Just feel proud of whatever you do.”

It’s a similar situation with Manoj Singh. A rickshawpuller, Manoj did not get any job after completing BSc. Manoj had to earn a living as his father’s untimely death brought upon him a world of responsibilities.

Manoj said after his father’s death he had no time to think about his career. “All I knew was that I needed to earn to support my family,” said Manoj.

“People suggested I tuitions as an option but for that to grow I had to wait. I had no time. So I took to pulling the rickshaw and instantly got into earning for my family,” he added.

Om Prakash also holds a PG degree. He runs a vegetable shop. He believes in the dignity of labour. “When I became a vegetable vendor many questioned my wisdom. They felt that I was educated and wasting my knowledge. But I knew that my learning would never go to waste. My communication skill has impressed customers and helped my business to grow,” he added.

However, for Roop Kumar, a graduate, life as a courier boy has not been all that rosy. Son of a government employee, Roop knew the constraints of his father financial status. “I became necessary for me to take up a job and now I am here,” he said. “On a cycle I have to cover a lot of distance. It’s a tough job.

But I am happy to add to my father’s income,” Roop said with a smile that reflected his satisfaction.