Self-employed youth – the victims of Justice

                                                    
                                                          By Mukesh Sharma

It is a fact that only elite political class has been enjoying life in Indian democracy, loaded heavily in favour of netas. Irrespective of caste creed or religion, the most of Indians believe that India is country of the netas, by the netas and for the netas.

While the netas live a king’s life, the poor people wriggle through the devouring problems all the life. Resigned to fate, the people remain at the mercy of some divine providence or the netas.

With all prerogatives and privileges, the netas celebrate Independence day and Republic day with the usual euphoria and exactitude every year. And the fooled people watch all the celebrations on TV channels with the sense of helplessness.

The system is such that once a glib-tongue and street-smart person gets in the politics, and manages to become an MLA or MP, he or she becomes law unto himself or herself. The proverbial long hands of law think ten times before reaching out to these netas even if they are found complicit in some crime. The people contend that these demi-gods are above the law.

On the other hand, the hapless common man who has been struggling from dawn to dusk for his survival for the ages, is a favourite whipping boy. Even the lowest rung government official can kick his ass just for kicks. What is more, this confused common man often falls prey to so-called JUSTICE.

The classic example is the ongoing sealing drive by MCD in Delhi under so-called Supreme Court Monitoring Committee. The properties of innocent self-employed people who have even paid the conversion charges and parking charges against their properties in order to carry out commercial activities for their livelihood, are being targeted and sealed arbitrarily without any notice.

True to their element, the netas of all the political parties are trying to use the predicament of the businessmen to their political advantage. Mud-slinging, slanging match and buck-passing have become the part of debate. While the netas are busy in their squabble, sealing is going on day after day. If the government cannot provide the employment, it has no business to deprive the people of self-employment.

      Over the years, the coaching Institute Business across India has become a giant industry with annual turn-over in thousands of crores, providing direct and indirect employment to thousands of teaching and non-teaching  youths.

Among the famous places for the coaching centres, Mukherji Nagar in north- west Delhi has a distinctive reputation. It is the favourite destination for government job-seekers. The students from all the parts of India throng this place with their cherished dream.

But to the utter surprise of student community at large, the renowned Mukherji Nagar and GTB Nagar stand rather ravaged today in the wake of rampant sealing drive. Hoardings, signboards and bill boards have been pulled down. Furniture and fixtures have been removed from the premises to ward off sealing drive. Obviously, it has put a big question mark not only on the future of self-employed teachers but also on the dreams of hundreds of students.

Dejected and disenchanted these hordes of self-employed people contend that much touted ‘start-up’ India is just a political gimmick. “At Davos, our Hon’ble PM Modi lays a red carpet for the foreign companies and business tycoons” says  a teacher ruefully. “And here in India Modi’s men are pulling the rug of  the feet of thousand of self-employed youth”. “BJP is a party of talk talks and talk claims. And those who talk by yard, act by inches, deserve to be kicked  by foot” says a student spitefully.

Evidently enough, the self-employed youth of India, who are already overburdened with the propounded GST, Income Tax, Property Tax, Conversion charges, Parking charges and  ever running high commercial electricity bill besides the alleged monthly extortion by the local authorities, are  VICTIM OF ‘JUSTICE’

The writer is a self-employed English teacher giving classes to UPSC aspirants at Tutelage  - an Institue of English Language and Literature, at 91, 3^rd floor, GTB Nagar/Mukherji Nagar, Mall Road, Delhi -9