Editorial

Ensure Even-handed Employment
From information available thus far, a slick operator preyed on the insecurities of unemployment and fleeced at least 21 youth in South district of money they could not afford to squander away [they were unemployed after all]. The cops suspect that the con could have duped at least a hundred victims in the two districts of South and West Sikkim. Money which the unemployed youth in question could have used to sign up for meaningful courses to enhance their skills or invested in self-employment ventures was instead handed over to a person who convinced them that he could ‘arrange’ employment [government or private as they desired] for them. From information shared by the South District Police, sums ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 1.60 lakh were paid up by individuals desperate for employment.
Those unconvinced of the government’s commitment to create employment can be expected to hold up the latest scam as evidence that unemployment has reached desperate levels in Sikkim. They would be right, but only partly, because the bigger worry here is the belief among the unemployed, as borne out by the success of the latest con, that employment can be rigged. The youth who bought the story of an individual that he could arrange employment for them were obviously convinced that he had the ‘contacts’ to seal the deal in their favour. Unfortunately, the belief that employment, even in the private sector where only merit should count, can be secured only with the ‘right’ recommendations and through the ‘right’ connections is much more widespread than the 100 that the latest alleged con managed to cheat. And it is obviously because of this conviction, and not just the desperation of being unemployed, that the con was so successful. This is the issue which needs to be addressed at the earliest and the unemployed in Sikkim convinced that the days of back-door entries and recommended placements are over. This will take a lot of work and a near paradigm shift in how those already in government offices, those in positions of power and even those with access to those in position to power, handle the responsibility of filling vacancies.
It is important to bear in mind that an unemployed status [for those wanting to work] is a depressing place to be in, and the trauma turns to frustration and anger when the unemployed suspect that they are being cheated of opportunities. The number of unemployed in Sikkim has grown too large for nepotism to continue because if favouritism continues to perpetuate, those denied the favours will soon number too many more than is healthy for any one, neither the establishment nor the society at large. Once those desiring a job are convinced that vacancies will always be filled in an even-handed manner, they will not fall prey to scamsters flaunting contacts. Admittedly, a fair employment process will not solve the unemployment problem, but it will at least not add indignation to the already demoralised state of mind of the unemployed.