Irfan Khan
It is an undeniable fact what is thought out the real strength of a nation is its youth, holding immense and gallant contributions and outstanding potentials in social boom, political stability as well as in economic development. Really and admittedly, their real benefactions we can stimulate by infusing courage and a new spirit in them. Youth’s empowerment comes up crucial as they are, through their determination, devotion, dedication and incessant efforts, capable to thrive any country , grappling with socio-economic and socio-political crises. Unfortunately, this precocious segment in Pakistan is itself encountering considerable challenges, and governments'( previous and current) heedlessness in championing their fundamental rights. Yes commonly with putting a bird’s eye view, one can see students are not properly cared in many developing countries, but instead face averse treatments from influentials, and are often expelled from learning houses just by committing futile mistakes. Likewise, Students Unions, apparently striving and working for advocating students’ rights are not supported wholeheartedly, but are considered illegal. Instead of gleaning higher education and the very purposes taking students to educational institutions to learn something new, unluckily what they wear, when they come, do they deposit fee on exact time, how they interact with other genders, and countless, are in focus, highlighting it necessary to put an end to these absurd and untenable focuses, and bolster the real aims. Without emboldening and mobilising youth, there seems least likelihood, a nation and a country to thrive and clinch social, economic, and political prosperity, that’s why developed countries strive hard to facilitate more and more its young people, and developing countries have to wrestle to firstly underscore those barriers that take youth to exploitative and undesirable conditions. Surely, if wish we to get any country out of existing obstacles, then recognising youth’s empowerment as first obligation, is inevitable so that in the coming time, a nation may stabilize economy and elevate true leadership, the basic requirement to progress undeniably. Through collected data and statistics in many developing countries, it reveals that considerable young people lacks access to health facilities, sports and entertainment activities, surely indispensable for vigorous survival and rich mind growth. Unluckily, myriad number does not possess approach to even school bags, then how can one talk about establishing libraries in educational platforms. In the latter, the prevailing restraints such as bullying, physical punishment and abductions, are on rampant, deteriorating the true image of institutions and undermining love of learning by scattering fear and intimidation. Underscoring these challenges at the eleventh hour, and wrestling to abolish these expressed deficiencies in one form or other, is inevitable. Let me clearly highlight those strategies that, with brisk and prompt efforts, should be undertaken, and similarly revealing the fact regarding the establishment of a commission that sorts out youth’s crisis, is venerable. In this regard, ensuring the provision of 3E’s: Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship, emerges extremely critical. 1. Education: There is no denying fact that, to young students(male and female) the provision of proper and higher education leads to their socioeconomic development. The influentials, just constructing educational platforms without gleaning necessary facilities and significantly professional teachers and trainers is of no worth, need to understand the very fact. Along with providing scientific, social and religious education, in learning houses it is necessary to promote in this era of evolving technology and AI financial education, leading to economic growth. Next, bolstering and extending vocational training programs, which surely enable students to easily find bread and butter by connecting themselves to key industries inside the country and abroad, appear pivotal. With taking these measures, also we need to elevate merit system, a key to escalating competition, and indeed students performing outstanding in the annual exams should be awarded with scholarships and further cash amounts to continue industrious study and give marvellous contributions to country in the future. So, education is important, education first.
2. Employment: Advocating talented and bright young people’s right to good and satisfying employment is requisite. What really cultivates youth’s anxiety and depression is financial constraints, specifically leading to the dearth of jobs launched by government and similarly taking considerable young people with high degrees to child labour and exploitative working conditions. In this connection, extending private schemes, promoting industrialization and allowing foreign organisations to make more jobs available is essential and first Government should contribute to this need immensely. All this needs stable and long term policies, that must be emphasised to secure best employment for young people.
3. Entrepreneurship: With doing so, giving youth wholeheartedly the freedom to run independent businesses without any restraints accentuates sublimely vital. No doubt, the leading incentive should be to make them as job creators instead of job seekers. Subsequently, profitable is to make youth computer literate, so that we may increase our software and IT exports. Not only this will satisfy youth, but too, it will thrive country’s economy. Top of all, what manifests extremely lucrative and imperious is to forge and elevate leadership skills in youth. Unquestionably, our recklessness always persists on a surge, when young turn to 18years of age enjoy and use their right to cast vote, but we have never truly tried to make them politically aware. The existence of influentials and elites in all forums and in making socio-economic decisions, the country needs not solely. Assuredly, we need our youth in assemblies, judiciary, military and in all sectors, who are capable to address people’s issues. In fact, it is necessary to suffocate and stifle the political system just limited to family through fostering awareness, and kindling leadership qualities in young people, in order to ensure that each and every body, neglecting financial influence, can fight elections. In brief, must we break the perpetual manifestation of apathy towards championing youth’s fundamental needs, such as education, employment, entrepreneurship and leadership skills. Without developing true leadership, a country can not set itself on the road to social, political and economic prosperity. Let the elites and those holding power show their true commitments to necessary measures.
The writer is contributing columnist, and can be reached at [email protected]