Joblessness, saffronisation, corporatisation of education: BJP 'squarely responsible'

Counterview Desk
In an open appeal to youth and students across India, several student and youth organizations from across India have said that the ruling party is squarely accountable for the issues concerning the students and the youth, including expensive education and extensive joblessness.
In a resolution adopted at an online meeting, they said, there has been decline in the education budget, shutdown of scholarship schemes, increase in fees in government colleges and universities, saffronization of education, and replacement of scientific and historical facts with propaganda.
It noted “failure” of the Modi government to fulfil its promise of creating two crore jobs, with government jobs being privatized and casualized, and unemployment rates reaching their highest levels in decades.
Accusing the ruling party of prioritizing the interests of big corporates over those of the common people, it said, the ruling party is selling national assets and natural resources at bargain prices and engaging in corruption and money laundering through electoral bonds.
It called upon youth and students “to recognize their historic responsibility and punish and defeat the BJP in the upcoming parliamentary elections and secure the future of India.”

Text:

We write to you at a time when our country, especially our millions of youth are facing an unprecedented crisis. A crisis that is the culmination of a decade-long misrule and loot of the BJP at the Centre and a century of RSS’s existence. This is a fervent appeal to all of you to punish and defeat the BJP, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which is essential in order to safeguard the future of our youth and democracy.
As we have all been witnessing, the youth of India is today beset with expensive education and extensive joblessness, while the ruling powers are misguiding large sections of youth to spread hate and violence, in order to pursue their corrupt and communal agendas.
Education budget has seen a continuous decline over the years. Scholarship schemes have been shut down arbitrarily. There has been a sharp increase in fees in government colleges and universities. The ruling party has intensified its attack against universities and educational institutions. Scien- tific and historical facts are being replaced with propaganda and falsehood. The ‘New Education Policy’ is being pushed to only further privatization and saffronization! While actual universities are being compromised, the ‘Whatsapp University’ has become a den of misinformation!
Unemployment has become a national calamity. Modi Government, which came to power with the promise of ‘two crore jobs’, has betrayed the youth. Government jobs are being privatized and casualized. Regular employment is shrinking, while wages remain stagnant. Unpaid labour is on a rise. In 2019, the unemployment rate reached its highest level in 45 years! Among the unemployed workforce, 83% are youth, of which 65% are graduate youths. The youth unemployment in India stands at over 40%, while more than 30 lakh sanctioned government posts are lying vacant. Paper leaks in government exams has become a norm. Through the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, the government has compromised national security and the future of the youth. With rural livelihoods being destroyed and very little new opportunities, youth are being pushed towards poverty and suffering.
Youth who protest for their genuine demands and in defense of the Constitution are violently repressed and implicated in false cases, under draconian laws and denied bail. Most mainstream media suppresses any meaningful discussion on the issues of students and youth. Between 2019-22, more than 48,000 students died by suicide. Many are forced to seek unemployment in war zones in desperation.
Meanwhile, there has been an unprecedented assault on our democracy and the Constitution.

There is widespread clampdown on any kind of questioning, protest or dissent by youth, people’s organizations and opposition parties

Fundamental rights are being trampled. There is a widespread clampdown on any kind of questioning, protest or dissent by youth, people’s organizations and even opposition parties! Festivals and faith are being politicized and weaponized. Economic inequality is at its peak, deepening social injustice.
The ruling party is running the country solely for the profits of a handful of big corporates. It is giving them lakhs of crores of loan waivers and tax cuts, and selling them national assets and natural resources at bargain prices by endangering our environment and grassroots communities. The public is being misled by spending crores of tax-payers money on publicity.

The revelations of electoral bonds has brought to light the largest corruption, money laundering, and extortion racket in the nation’s history. To further cover up this nexus of the BJP and the cor- porates, it continuously engages in communal propaganda and spreads hatred against minorities. But the truth is that it does not even care about the majority people of this country.
With Lok Sabha elections just weeks away, and afraid of losing its power, the BJP government is abusing all its state powers to ensure that the political opposition is crippled before the elections and there is an “Opposition Mukt Election“.
As youth, we recognize the historic responsibility bestowed upon us, towards our nation and its great freedom fighters.

We resolve to not let go in vain the struggles of the martyrs of the freedom movement, the farmers movement and the youth movement. We owe a safer nation to all those incarcerated for speaking truth to power!
We reject the anti-people, anti-student and anti-youth policies of the BJP.
We reject the politics of hate and divisiveness being thrust upon the youth of the nation!
We reaffirm our commitment to a Sovereign Secular Socialist Democratic Republic.
We pledge to secure justice, liberty and equality for all our citizens, and to preserve our right to protest, and freedom from persecution and unjust repression.
We, the youth of India, pledge to punish and defeat the BJP, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

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Click here for organisations which endorsed the resolution

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