Poll time: jobless youths have a party!

GULBARGA: It’s daybreak. Youths of Habal village slowly assemble either under a neem tree or at the playground. They chat, they argue, they joke, they laugh. There is commotion the moment they see a vehicle approaching. If a Congress flag flutters on the vehicle, some youths quickly pin the party badge on their shirts and turn into ‘loyal’ Congress workers while others wait for other parties to arrive.
Their job: Pasting posters, canvassing for the party, carrying banners.At the end of the day, they get paid for their ‘loyalty’.
When this remote village was hit by drought, the jobless youths didn’t pray for rain, they prayed for elections. And then they hit upon a novel idea. They decided to work for whichever party gave them odd jobs. In order to attract the attention of the parties, they decided to assemble at a strategic location. When they saw a BJP vehicle coming, the ‘BJP men’ among them would offer their services to the party. Similarly, the remaining youths would loyally work for other parties.
They have no party affiliations. They belong to all paying parties. Naturally, there are no clashes or rivalries. “Why should we fight? Our aim is to earn money,’’ said Vijayakumar, who this time round has turned into a Congress worker.
According to Shivakumar, a rich farmer from the village, youths earn anything between Rs 50 and Rs 100 daily. “Elections have provided work to these jobless youths,’’ he said. Kelsa beka? Then follow the Habal youths’ shining example. You will feel good...at least till the elections are over.