The Dravidianist news media is facing criticism for comparing a recent viral video depicting a near-stampede at walk-in interviews in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, where 800 applicants vied for 40 job openings. Opposition parties like Congress used this incident to mock the ruling BJP in Gujarat. Similarly, Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian news media and DMK sympathizers propagated this narrative, omitting the fact that Gujarat’s employment situation is significantly better than Tamil Nadu’s, as indicated by reports from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Human Development (IHD).
A walk-in interview organized by a chemical firm in Gujarat resulted in chaotic scenes as hundreds of individuals attempted to enter a building supposedly for job interviews. The positions advertised included shift in charge (6-10 years of experience), plant operators (3-8 years), supervisors (4-8 years), mechanical fitters (3-8 years), and ETP executives (4-7 years), targeting experienced professionals seeking job changes. Due to the company’s reputation and competitive salaries, a large crowd gathered, leading to mismanagement and eventually the closure of the venue’s doors as it reached capacity. Opposition parties seized on the incident to criticize the ruling BJP government in Gujarat, falsely claiming it as a failure of the Gujarat model and citing a supposed severe unemployment crisis.
In Tamil Nadu, the DMK family-owned Sun News media propagated misinformation stating, “Rising unemployment – youth crowding out during private sector recruitment in Gujarat.”
அதிகரிக்கும் வேலைவாய்ப்பின்மை – குஜராத்தில் தனியார் நிறுவன ஆட்சேர்க்கையின் போது குவிந்த இளைஞர்களால் களேபரம்#SunNews | #Gujarat | #Unemployment pic.twitter.com/djVEZgQblw
— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) July 11, 2024
In response to attempts to paint Gujarat BJP in a negative light, SG Suryah, the state secretary of Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party, questioned the double standards, asking if other states faced unemployment crises when 2,38,000 applicants competed for just 90 government job vacancies in Tamil Nadu. He criticized the hypocrisy of Dravidian media, suggesting they might support such actions in Tamil Nadu while using similar statistics from other states to criticize them unfairly.
SG Suryah stated, “90 TN Govt Job Vacancies & 2,38,000 aspirants appear for Exam? It tells us that clamour for Govt. Jobs has not faded. But a similar data from some other state is picked up by TN DMK Dravidian channels to paint such states in bad light. Now it’s in TN, Where are you Dravidiyas?”
90 TN Govt Job Vacancies & 2,38,000 aspirants appear for Exam?
It tells us that clamour for Govt. Jobs has not faded.
But a similar data from some other state is picked up by TN DMK Dravidian channels to paint such states in bad light.
Now it’s in TN, Where are you Dravidiyas? pic.twitter.com/uZCjYwNBlW
— Dr.SG Suryah (@SuryahSG) July 13, 2024
A recent report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Institute for Human Development (IHD) highlighted that two-thirds of unemployed individuals are young graduates, underscoring the pressing need for immediate policy action. The analysis, based on data from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2022-23, focuses on unemployment among individuals aged 15 and above in major Indian states, excluding Union Territories, using the Usual Principal and Subsidiary Status (UPSS) measurement.
The report indicates that Tamil Nadu lags behind states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh in terms of employment rates. It criticizes Dravidian media for predominantly focusing on BJP-ruled states while overlooking these statistics.
Subscribe to our channels on Telegram, WhatsApp, and Instagram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.