The first edition of Youth Ki Awaaz’s #YuvaSansad, in collaboration with UNICEF India, was held on Sunday May 23, 2020. The #YuvaSansad is a platform that brings together young changemakers from across the country and gives them a chance to interact with the decision makers, the members of parliament. This is an attempt to bridge the gap between policymakers and the youth of this country.
The panel included Mr Navneethakrishnan (MP from Tamil Nadu), Mr Pradyut Bordoloi (MP Nowgong, Assam), Mr Ravi Kishan (MP Gorakhpur, UP), Mr Unmesh Patil (MP Jalgaon, Maharashtra), Mrs Gomati Sai (MP Raigarh, Chhattisgarh), and Dr Yasmin Ali Haque (UNICEF Representative in India).
The young changemakers who joined the conversation with questions for their respective MPs were Atiya Rafi (UP), Binita Boniya (Assam), Yogendra Chandrakar (Chhattisgarh), Kulsum Zahra (Maharashtra), and Akila (Tamil Nadu). The panel was hosted by Prashant Jha (Youth Ki Awaaz).
The talk was kicked off by Unicef India’s Yasmin Ali Haque, who threw light on the present situation of students across the country:
“With India being home to the largest population of young people in the world, this interaction which we are embarking on today reiterates the need for us to listen to them actively while we make decisions that impact their lives.”
Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, myriad issues such as the closure of schools and colleges, lack of family income, inaccessibility in govt jobs and training, lack of awareness regarding govt support schemes, mental health issues — stress, anxiety, fear is overriding the young minds of our country as they look at the uncertainty lying ahead.
What Is The Government’s Action Plan For Girl Students Belonging To Minority Communities?
The first question came from UP, Bijnor’s Atiya Rafi: “I am a girl from a minority community, thousands of girls like me have dreams to have a better future. Just like many of them, I am also facing financial issues. I would like to know if there are any government schemes/scholarships to support us financially to pursue higher education?”
Mr Ravi Kishan addressed Atiya’s concerns by reassuring her that the government had an excellent plan in place for students belonging to the marginalised communities.
“I assure you that if you are a good student your future will be brighter. A promising student like you will never face any issues. Please do not worry at all. Additionally, the HRD ministry has come up with several new schemes for education at Madrassas as well.”
How Does The Government Plan To Bridge the Access Gap For Marginalised Students In Online Education?
The next question came for AIADMK MP Naveneethakrishan from Akila:
“The examinations have been cancelled. Online classes for students are being held in Tamil Nadu, but the question of access remains — as not every student can afford to attend these classes. Due to financial issues, students from marginalised communities are unable to take these classes; they don’t have computers or smartphones. Keeping three main issues in mind we have started a petition: first, the schools must be sanitised, second, counselling for students, and third, availability of transportation facilities. In these circumstances, how is the government planning to resolve the issues faced by these students?”
In response to Akila’s question, Mr Navneethakrsihnan said,
“The students from poor families who are unable to study right now, those who don’t have smartphones need not worry at all. We are working in this direction. The government is providing bicycles to such students, which will help solve the transportation issue to some extent. Government schemes such as Digital India will further help these students in future.”
How Can Youth Organizations Work In Collaboration With The Government?
Kulsum Zahra from Thane, who has been ensuring that essentials reach homeless children and youth during this pandemic, asked Jalgaon MP, Unmesh Patil, how their efforts could be taken forward with the help of the government and the MPs.
“The way Kulsum is working with the NGO is commendable. It’s great to see their effort in helping HIV+ children by removing barriers to their education. It is a great initiative indeed,” said Mr Patel, congratulating Kulsum for the work she is doing.
“We are all afraid, but I believe there’s victory beyond this fear. With regard to online education, I think Swayamprabha, Deeksha and E-Pathshala are excellent initiatives. In future, I believe that there will be no cost for internet access, and this will ensure equal access to education for all. While there are difficulties, I believe there’s hope too, even amid a pandemic,” he further added.
Kulsum has lived in a child care institution for 9 years. At the age of 18, she left this institution and supports her two younger sisters, who are also out of the care home now. Her organisation, Youth Care Labour Association, supports orphans, HIV+ children, and children from the LGBTQ community.
How Will Online Education Reach The Children Of Assam’s Tea Workers?
Asks Bonita Binoya, a young girl living near the tea plantation area.
“I go to a private school, and I’m attending online classes right now. But the kids from the tea garden school are not. Their families cannot afford that; they do not have smartphones. How can we help these students during this lockdown?”
She also raised another concern asking Nowgong MP Mr Pradyut Bordoloi about what facilities will be provided to students after schools reopen post the lockdown.
“There are many plantation workers in Assam, and their children are facing a lot of issues. They don’t have smartphones and connectivity too becomes an issue when they live in remote areas. We will come up with strategies to help solve these problems soon. Additionally, I am also working with an NGO to provide counselling to these kids so we can better understand their problems and provide solutions accordingly,” said Mr Bordoloi in response to Bonita’s questions.
On Inequalities In Access To Online Education
Addressing the inequality which is creating barriers for millions of students in this country, Gorakhpur MP Mr Ravi Kishan said, “While shooting in different locales in UP and Bihar, I always got a chance to interact with the youth and closely observe their lives. I also tried to encourage them to focus on their future and continue with their education. I have seen a lot of progress in different areas in UP and Gorakhpur in terms of education.”
Talking about the situation in Tamil Nadu, Mr Navneethakrishnan said that there are no such inequalities in the state. The government is continuously working towards this issue.
How Can We Improve the Situation Of Migrant Workers?
Yogendra Chandrakar, a youth from Chhattisgarh, asked BJP MP Mr Unmesh Patil about the problems faced by the migrant workers and their children who were forced to walk home due to the nationwide lockdown,
“Thousands of workers are going home, their children are not even aware of what’s happening. This will leave a negative impact on their young minds, their parents are no longer employed, what is the government’s plan for them?”
“Through govt schemes such as ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’, the workers are being provided with ration and food to sustain them for the time being,” Mr Patil said in response to Yogendra’s question.
Dr Yasmin Haque also added that “The marginalised communities are facing a lot of challenges due to COVID-19. Amid this pandemic, we must ensure that these government scheme benefits are actually reaching those in need.”
The viewers following this discussion live on Facebook also had a few questions for the panellists. One such viewer was Manoj Udiyan who wanted to know how the government plans to help people get jobs with skill development programs?
Answering his question, Mr Unmesh Patil said that the government has plans to upskill people through various schemes and these will be implemented after we have successfully dealt with the pandemic.
YKA user Shalini Jha had a question for this panel too. She wanted to know if the centre had any plans for children from lower income families who are also missing online classes right now.
“The government has many schemes, but unfortunately, these never come to fruition. Therefore, it’s important that state governments take a lead. We have to meet the basic needs of such people. This are difficult times, but it will get better,” said Nowgong MP Mr Bordoloi in response to Shalini’s question.
Adding to Mr Bordoloi’s comment, Mr Ravi Kishan said that “the trauma these children are going through is a sensitive issue. We must help these kids get through this situation and bring some happiness back to their lives.”
“Around 25 lakh people have come back home to UP. Our government is planning to ensure each one of them gets employment opportunities in the state itself so they never leave again. The labourers who have walked home covering a distance of thousands of kilometres will not like to go back again. Therefore it’s important that we create jobs for them. This has already begun through MGNREGA,” he further said.
Millions of people have lost their means of sustenance during this pandemic. Such a discussion is important to bring policy-making and. their makers closer to the people on ground and to their realities. The youth, who raised their concerns throwing light upon the inequities and inequalities of our education system, not only represent their problems amid this pandemic, but also force us to rethink our policies and systems.