A silent revolution called Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan

We met Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and requested him as the Chancellor to convene a meeting of all the Vice Chancellors of Telangana State universities.

metro india news  I hyderabad

For the past three years, there is a silent revolution happening all over the country to transform the society and address the ever challenging unemployment problem. Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) which is launched by Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM), is becoming popular among the people especially the youngsters who want to become entrepreneurs.

Surprisinly, the successful journey of SBA is not given space in the mainstream media, as the media is blissfully unaware of such a programme. Another reason for SBA not being much on the people’s mind is the way organisations like SJM maintain a low profile and go in for propaganda, the Hallmark of RSS Front organisations.

Metro India interacted with Satish Kumar, Joint Organising Secretary of SJM and National Convenor SBA. Satish-ji as he is fondly refereed to, talked about many issues including the on going SBA, activities of SJM and also on farmers issue. He also clarified several misnomers about RSS and its Chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Since SJM has done a lot research on the unemployment situation in the country, it came up with a programme to make unemployed youth to become entrepreneurs instead of hankering about getting jobs. The SBA program is a tailor made entrepreneurship program to help unemployed youth across the country to become financially self-reliant and also provide employment to others.

But there are some challenges enroute. To address these challenges, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch has launched several initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship, self-employment, and skill development among young people.

The Swavalambi Bharat Abhiyan, a nationwide campaign launched in 2022, has conducted programs in all the regions (Prants) touching over 600 districts, engaging hundreds of industrial units, and directly reaching lakhs of youth. Satish Ji himself had interacted with more than 200 universities in the country.

“We met Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and requested him as the Chancellor to convene a meeting of all the Vice Chancellors of Telangana State universities. Experts from SJM, SBA will address the VCs and explain them about the programme and how they should help take it to the each and every student in their universities. The Governor has accepted our request,” Satish Ji said.

Success story

Citing several real life stories like the one with Ms Krishna Yadav, who with a meagre investment of Rs 1000, has established a vegetables, pickle business which rose to become Rs 5 Crore turnover enterprise, Satish-Ji said the unemployed youth should be inculcated with entrepreneurship which will help them to become job providers rather than job seekers.

Satish Ji said in Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath an innovative scheme for the unemployed has been launched under which each unemployed youth will get Rs 5 Lakh loan with gurantees and the EMI will start after six months of gestation period.

In the coming annual budget, the centre is expected to come out with some permanent programmes and policies addressing the issue. “We have submitted a digital petition signed by lakhs of people to the union government to allocate funds in the budget for the setting up of SBA Corporation and with guidelines to sustain the programme.”

Satish Ji said that SBA campaign has also led to the creation of several institutions and initiatives including the Zilla Rojgar Srijan Kendra, which provides guidance and support to young entrepreneurs. The campaign has also promoted the development of self-help groups, which have benefited lakhs of people across the country.

Seva Bharti started thousands of Swavalmab Kendras, 2000 Silai Kendras, 4000 self-help groups which benefitted lakhs of people, 800 beauty parlor training centers, and 600 computer training centers. The Vanwasi Kalyan Ashram started 4500 self-help groups, 180 tailoring centers, 40 computer centers, 75 Krishi Vikas Kendra, 25 Sankul Kendra and 80 other centers benefitting 3443 people.

The Bhartiya Kisan Sangh created 300 FPOs, which benefits around 1 lakh farmers. By providing guidance regarding credit facilities, and cooperative bank schemes for startups and new entrepreneurs, Sahkar Bharti benefitted 3 lakh people. They networked with 1500 cooperatives benefitting one lakh people and contributed to the creation of new self-help groups benefitting 20 lakh people through intervention in one-lakh self-help groups.

Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad created 90 Rojgar Kendras benefitting 7000 youth, organized 150 innovation-related events through an incubation center, 7 startup conferences, 10 startup conclaves, 9 startup competitions, one national seminar, operationalized incubation center in colleges of 30 Prants benefiting 20,000 students.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has started 750 training centers benefitting 5,000 people, and 350 exclusive Maitri-Shakti or women entrepreneurship-related centers benefiting 5,000 women entrepreneurs. In a few years from now, SBA will change the very face of unemployment situation in the country.

Satish Ji said according to a report by CII, if our country can turn total manpower into employment loop, then the country will become $40 Trillion Economy. SJM and SBA are working towards this goal.

On India's demographic challenges

Satish ji said it requires a comprehensive and multi-faceted response, and the initiatives launched by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch are an important step in this direction. He said it is SJM, which identified the problem three years ago, had been raising the issue on several fora.

“When SJM raised the demographic issue and the need to encourage Hindu couples to have more children three years ago, no body took it seriously. But now it has caught the imagination of political leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, MK Stalin and RSS Chief Shri Mohan Bhagwat Ji also talked about it,” he said.

Dwelling it at length, he said that India is facing a demographic crisis, with its Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declining rapidly. The TFR, which refers to the average number of children a woman bears over her lifetime, has fallen from 6.18 in 1950 to 1.91 in 2021, and is projected to decline further to 1.29 by 2050.

This decline has raised concerns among experts, who warn that a rapidly aging population and shrinking workforce could have severe economic consequences. Ideally TFR should be around 2.2+ In southern states, it is around 1.6, which is not acceptable.

It is the duty of everyone concerned to educate the present day youth to have more than two children. Satish Ji said that the problem was not unique to India. Many developed countries, such as South Korea, Japan, and Germany, are facing similar demographic challenges. However, India's situation is particularly concerning, given its large and youthful population.

On Farmers agitation in Punjab

Satish Ji said the on going farmers agitation in Punjab is politically motivated. Despite the fact that MSP will be given as per demands of farmers, the farmers’ leaders are demanding the centre to pay the MSP and make amendments to the constitution. The MSP in several states is given by the States and in some states like Madhya Pradesh farmers are rejecting the MSP. Supported by the Left, Congress parties, the farmers are politicizing the issue.

On Mohan Bhagwat’s statement on real independence

Satish Ji said the remarks made by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on the country’s independence were all twisted to suit to the narrative of the parties like Congress. “What Mohan Ji said was that the country got geographical independence in 1947 but the cultural independence came only after 2014, after Modi became the PM. He was talking about the real Bharat which is independent geographically, sociologically, culturally.”

On decentralization of key issues

Satish Ji said the decentralization planning would boost the economy. All economic planning is done either by Centre or State as on date. District and below agencies are mere implementing agencies. District should be made centre of economic and employment generation planning.

Made Bharath, Make with Bharat

Now the situation in the country is different, Elon Musk needs Bharat market than Bharat needs Elon Musk’s cars. “The foreign investors are welcome if they come with ‘Make with Bharat’ concept. Come with tech and money, Bharath will provide infrastructure, manpower and a conducive atmosphere.