Skip to content Skip to navigation

Unemloyment in Assam and ULFA

Unemployment is a burning problem in the country and Assam is no exception. The ever growing population has made it extremely difficult for the government to provide jobs for every educated youth. Educated unemployed are rapidly flooding the state. Government jobs have become a pipe dream. Here arises the need of introducing vocational training courses in our syllabi from an early stage in schools itself which will help the youth to be self sufficient rather than awaiting for that coveted dream job.

Unlike other states the Northeast and Assam in particular has been deprived of private companies and Multi national Companies who shy away from investing in the region due to extremism. For the proscribed ULFA’s questionable activities have left no room for private investments by any companies in the state. Extortion, kidnappings, bomb blasts are not exactly conducive for industrialization or any progressive work. The perfunctory tug of war between the government and the ULFA has in turn victimized the local youth and deprived them of a secure future. If such a trend continues for long then those few companies that have braved the hostile conditions will ultimately be forced to relocate and further aggravate the unemployment problem.

Albeit population explosion is another major factor for unemployment but terrorism is a direct cause for this growing problem and vice versa. For lack of jobs push the youth to join extremist groups to earn a fast buck which in turn act as deterrent to employment avenues.

There are over 15 lakh unemployed in the state. According to the state’s latest economic survey report the number of unemployed per 1,000 people in Assam is 21 in the rural areas against 5 persons at the All India level. Similarly the number of unemployed per 1,000 people in urban areas in the state is 20 against 14 people at an all India level. The government is not sitting idle but has given serious thought to curb this problem which is also the prime cause of insurgency. The government is allegedly going to implement a Rs 11 crore job generation scheme aimed at minimizing the problem. The scheme is said to be formulated on the lines of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan.

We Indians play the blame game really well for whenever things go awry we conveniently blame the next person in this case government. Extremism is definitely a major deterrent but it is not the end of the world.

The social scenario in Assam is a volatile one at least it appears to be so to people in the heartland of our country. The media too is agog with reports of violence and mayhem giving the impression of a prevailing tension in the region as a result of which investments in the region are sparse and far between.

Therefore in such a catch 22 situation the youth can take up self employment avenues such as start small scale industries or take up sericulture, pisiculture, weaving etc. The options are many but there is a dearth of proper vision and attitude among our youth. The Banks are always there to fall back upon provided one is armed with a little patience and forbearance.

Sadly a small step forward proves to be futile when insurgent factors destabilize the development process and take us four steps backwards. The recent kidnapping and subsequent killing of FCI official PC Ram is a dastardly act that should be condemned by all. Such incidents push Assam further into the labyrinths of underdevelopment and the wheel of progress comes to a standstill.

Rituparna Goswami Pandey

Comments

mitu's picture

Good insight into the actual problem. When would Assam solve unemployment

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Guwahati: City Superintendent of Police has suspended Mr Utpal Das officer in charge of Hatigaon out post under Dispur Police Station. The city SSP was forced to suspend him as a lower court has issued a non bailable warrant against him for contempt of court. The contempt of court case has been slapped against him as he was not following the courts instructions in an earlier case related to a land dispute.
Lakhimpur: The flood situation in the North Bank of Assam mainly the Dhemaji district has turned critical once again. Flash Floods in Ronganodi breached a vital dyke in four places of Lahimpur cutting off parts of Lakhimpur district and Dhemaji from the rest of Assam. The temporary Bailey bridge constructed by the Army for connecting Dhemaji has also been damaged once again by floods. Reports have just come in on Friday morning that four more embankments have been washed. The silver lining is that no causalities have been reported so far and there is no shortage of essential commodities as well.Meanwhile the Brahmaputra is reported to be rising in various parts of the State.Puthimari river...
Lakhimpur : A group of miscreants from Arunachal entered into Assam on Thursday morning and attacked the forest officals in the forest office at Dulumukh. 13 people were injured including 2 Assam Police personnel and 3 forest officials. They tried to occupy the office illegally and fled when Assam Police personnel reached the office. The injured people have been admitted to the Boginadi Public Hospital.
New Delhi : Internet is emerging as the most viable alternative for online jobs and matrimony. More than 25 million users are likely to register themselves for online job search and matrimonial alliances resulting in business of around Rs 565 crore by March 2008, according to Assocham. The online market in terms of jobs and matrimonial alliances has increased because of the fact that it is both convenient and economically feasible. It also added that the size of matrimonial advertisement business is likely to grow by 60 pct to reach Rs 136 crore and that of jobs by 75 pct to touch Rs 429 crore in current fiscal. The male, female ratio in case of job seekers was 69 pct and 31 pct.(...
Simaluguri (Sibasagar): In a tragic incident in Abhayapuri village near Simaluguri, one person killed his elder brother last night and his wife unable to bear her husbands death committed suicide by jumping into a pond.Biren Gogoi and Rangai Gogoi, sons of Bhadram Gogoi had a bitter quarrel in the evening on Wednesday night.The reason for the quarrel was some family reasons. In a fit of rage, Biren Gogoi hit Rangai Gogoi with a sharp opinion and Rangai succumbed to his injuries.On Thursday morning, Maini Gogois body was recovered from a nearby pond. Maini, wife of the deceased had gone missing after Rangai succumbed to his injuries. The police have two young daughters who are 5 and 1 year...
Guwahati: There is another case when a youth has landed behind bars in enjoying night life in Guwahati. Dibyajyoti Neog, a young married businessman entered a city hotel at 11.30 pm on Wednesday with his girlfriend, Tribeni Patir, a college student who stays in a girls hostel. They spent around two hours there post which a fierce quarrel broke out between them. Neog slapped, abused and threw a split burner at her. The ruckus created alerted the hotel staff who tried to intervene but they were also not spared. The Manager was manhandled and Neog broke several window panes and utensils as well shouting abuses all throughout. The Hotel authorities then had to call the police who came and...
Silchar : Two elephants went berserk and trampled nine people to death in Hawaithang under Dhalai Police Station in Cachar District. Forest Officials however managed to track the two elephants and killed them near the Mizoram border.The deceased have been identified as Jyotirmoy Barman, Renubala Das, Kalpataru Das, Shikha Das, Moinarani Das, Minu Das, Phulkumari Das and Abdul Rashid Mazumdar and another identified person.In this connection Ranger Nabendu dey and BIT officer Badaruddin were suspended. Investigations have revealed that they had allowed two timber smugglers to collet log from Dhalai Forest. The smugglers had used two tamed elephants for this purpose and these were the...
Dibrugarh : A forest Ranger accidentally fell down in the Brahmaputra River from a Ferry on which he was traveling from Maijan Ghat, Dibrugarh to his workplace Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh today. Ferry started navigation at about 8 AM from Maijan Ghat carrying at least 100 odd passengers. After five-hour navigation when it was about to reach Kopling Chapori, Talukdar fell from the ferry accidentally. Heavy currents of the Brahmaputra river washed him away immediately. Since then he is missing. Search operations are on to find him . Talukdar is a resident of Tinisukia town.
Guwahati : There is an acute shortage of Paddar Elish, the delicious Hilsa from Bangladesh so widely popular in Assam. Bangladesh has banned the export citing acute shortage in Bangladesh internally. Retail prices of Hilsa have gone up significantly almost 250-350 per kg Efforts have been made by traders to compensate the Hilsa lover by importing from Myanmar and Hooghly in West Bengal but without much success. Hilsa has a high demand in Assam, Bengal and the neighbouring northeastern states. Hilsa is found in abundance in the rivers of Bangladesh, with the Hilsa that lives in the Padma river being especially famous for its taste. A significant percentage of the catch was being exported...
Dibrugarh : One programmed Time device fitted with IED was recovered from a ULFA militant in Dibrugarh when he was on his way to plant it at the Parade ground in which the District Administration would be holding the Independence Day Celebrations on 15th of August 07. The device was timed to go off on the 15th of August 07 The suspect has been identified as Bitupon Moran of Hebetagaon in Makum. Moran was captured near the fire station when he was on his way to plant the bomb. Moran confessed that he was a ULFA member and had joined ULFA two years ago. It may be mentioned that four years ago on 15th of August 07, a powerful bomb blast had exploded in the parade ground in Dhemaji killing 13...