ROURKELA: With decent job opportunities out of bounds for many due to the pandemic-induced slowdown, an increasing number of engineering and MBA graduates are taking to politics as an alternate career in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district.
After completing BTech from a private institution, Rajiv Naik (31) of Sadar block, was offered a field job against a monthly pay of Rs 5,000 in 2017. As the salary was meagre, he returned to his family profession of agriculture out of frustration. Now, he has taken a plunge into politics and filed nomination for the Sadar-A Zilla Parishad (ZP) seat on Congress ticket.
Naik said he took to farming on a small family plot as getting a decent job was tough after completing his degree. “After having faced hardships, I am aware of difficulties people face and politics, I feel, will offer me a favourable opportunity to improve their condition,” he said.
Another Congress nominee from the Lefripada-A ZP constituency Harekrishna Bhitria (33) shares a similar experience. A mechanical engineer associated with his father’s contract business, Bhitiria now candidly admits that he is on lookout for an alternate career in politics to work for people.
Similarly, Sunit Sohan Tirkey (31) who has entered the fray as an Independent candidate from the Lathikata-C ZP seat, had completed his diploma in engineering and then obtained a degree in mechanical engineering and MBA in 2019. But, a good job never came his way.
“I was working with a private factory near Rourkela where the pay package was much lower than expectation. Later, citing the pandemic, I and some others were retrenched,” said Tirkey who now wants to use his education and experience effectively in politics to develop his constituency and help villagers reap benefits of various government welfare schemes.
As per reports, at least a dozen educated youths are in the fray including Koida Sarpanch candidate Dipak Jyoti Barla (24), a degree engineer, Arati Majhi (28) and A Ipsita Beck (34), both MBA degree holders contesting as panchayat samiti members from Rajgangpur block and a host of other diploma engineers contesting as sarpanchs. Commenting on the development, outgoing Sundargarh Zilla Parishad president Emma Ekka said,”Whatever may be the reason, entry of educated youths into rural politics is a good sign. Educated youths opt to think and act differently to bring change in lives of rural folks.”