Lokesh turning in to Voice of the Youth
Young generation has a special contribution for the development of the country. As the sun rises and chases away the darkness, the youth continues to live in despair and darkness. In this backdrop, youth icon Nara lokesh’ “Yuvagalam” will give them new hope and direction.
As the Leader of Opposition, Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy made so many grandiose promises the people of Andhra Pradesh in general and the youth in particular during his so called Praja Sankalpa Yatra. He said that special status can be achieved only with YSRCP in power that in turn helps to create jobs, will issue job calendar every year to fill the vacancies, will regularize contract workers, 75% quota for local youth in private sector jobs, reservation in government tenders and other works, etc. After coming to power, he did not fulfill single promise in the last four years. Instead, 10 lakhs of people have lost their jobs in the state. Due to unemployment and the prevailing uncertainty in the State, the youth after completing the graduation, Post graduation are migrating to other state and countries. Around, 4,56,208 youth committed suicide in the last three years in the country as stated in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Rameshwar. Among these 21,575 young people from Andhra had committed suicide due to various reasons including unemployment. Andhra Pradesh unemployment rate stood at 7.7% significantly higher than the national average of 6.1% and the employment scenario in the state continues to remain grim.
“Yuvagalam” was taken up by Nara Lokesh to give voice to the people without voice hitherto, but also to unite the youth in the state and bring about political awareness among them and change in the political system. Meanwhile, the YSRCP-led Government continues to spread violence by creating rifts among people in the name of caste, religion, region and other identities for their political gains. As a result the State of Andhra Pradesh is a victim of collateral damage.
Nara Lokesh through march across the State on foot for 400 days would cover 4000 KMs and in the process will provide the boost to the youth in general and their voice in particular. Every four days one young person is committing suicide and a research study shows that 82% of young people are worried about their long-term future. In these dark times, Nara Lokesh, National General Secretary, TDP, has raised to the occasion as a ray of hope. Accordingly, Lokesh will undertake “Yuvagalam” in support of the youth, while simultaneously exposing miserable failures of YS Jaganmohan Reddy on all fronts like development, welfare and governance.
The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector, which accounts for 80% of all employment in Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing a severe existential crisis due to lack of substantial government support in form of subsidies, low power prices and protection from other hassles. The prices of land given to MSMEs in industrial parks have been increased by more than five times under the YSRCP-led government. The previous Telugu Desam led-Government had encouraged people belonging to SCs, STs, Minorities and BCs to set up MSMEs by providing with subsidies and liberalizing the norms to do business. It is sad that the present Government changed the policy and did grave injustice to them.
The TDP Government was able to catalyse more than 5,13,652 jobs in the industrial sector alone in five years, which was also confirmed in the AP Legislative Assembly by the Late Mekapati Gowtham Reddy who was the then Minister for IT and Industries. Meanwhile, the present Government had utterly failed in creating any jobs in the last four years and further had snatched away the existing jobs prevailing.
The previous-TDP Government under the leadership of Nara Chandrababu Naidu initiated welfare schemes for the unemployed youth. The TDP Government gave Rs. 2000 as unemployment allowance to the youth and further linked the allowance with skill development of the youth. Unfortunately the YSRCP-led Government under the leadership of YS Jaganmohan Reddy had removed the scheme.
During the TDP Government, Yuva Nestam scheme was launched, a brainchild of the then Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj, Nara Lokesh. Under Yuva Nestam, skill development was planned, self-employment schemes and apprenticeship through tie-up with various industries was launched. During the TDP regime, Lokesh worked hard to encourage the youth by introducing schemes that would aim at training them as professionals followed by providing them with job support and giving them stipend.
TDP led-Government had conducted two District Selection Committee (DSC) examination for recruiting teachers and accordingly 17591 teachers were recruited. Contrary to that, YS Jagan promised Mega DSCs every year but has not yet recruited single teacher even after four years. As a result the dropout rate in Andhra Pradesh has raised to disproportionate levels. Other schemes to empower the youth like Government run study circles, civil services coaching centres, Overseas Scholarships, corporation loans to the youth were all introduced by the TDP, while have been removed by the YSRCP-led Government.
In the last three years alone, investments by Adani data-Rs. 70 thousand crores, Reliance electronics-Rs. 15 thousand cr, Lulu group-Rs 2,500 Cr, Singapore Startup companies-Rs 50 thousand cr, Gannavaram Medha Towers, and other IT companies had all left the State. Other World famous companies like Franklin Templeton, HSBC, IBM, Fintach, etc., also left due to nincompoop policies of the YSRCP-led Government.
It is appalling to note that how frequently violence and abuse are perpetrated against women and young girls in Andhra Pradesh. Gang rape, kidnapping, physical and emotional violence, other types of torture, death threats, and rape are not isolated events. They are the result of drugs, unemployment and other social crises prevalent in the State of Andhra Pradesh, that in turn result in failure of law and order.
Lokesh has already impressed us as the Minister for IT, Panchayat Raj & Rural Development. During his tenure, Lokesh ensured that Andhra Pradesh stay on top in the manufacturing of cell phones and connected all rural areas that stayed inaccessible earlier. During his tenture AP Panchayat Raj & Rural Development received several awards from the Government of India. The Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Departments have achieved 53 state and national awards during the tenure of Lokesh, while 32000 IT jobs were created in the State.
Earlier, Nara Chandrababu Naidu undertook padayatra on 2nd October 2012 that lasted for 208 days and covered 2817 KMs. At the age of 63, Chandrababu Naidu walked 2817 kilometres covering 16 districts and 95 constituencies resulting in TDP coming to power. Now Nara Lokesh 400 days “Yuvagalam” on foot has kindled hope among the people of Andhra Pradesh and assured them about their future, while the party cadre are jubilant that the 400-days padayatra by Nara Lokesh would bring them back to power. Thus, the 400-days, 4000 KMs padayatra by Nara Lokesh will remain as a milestone in the political history of Andhra Pradesh.
Research scholar
