Prayagraj: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the country’s youth were being trapped in a “chakravyuh”, with youngsters spending lakhs and crores on educational certificates that offered no guarantee of employment. “Today, education certificates have no meaning in India because they cannot give you a job,” he said, adding that only around 12 out of every 1,000 aspirants get permanent employment.Addressing the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme at KP College Ground, Rahul cautioned youngsters against getting trapped in the “intoxication” of making Instagram reels, saying social media was being used to keep them occupied as jobs and opportunities shrink. “You make reels and work on Blinkit-like platforms because there is no job for you in this country,” he said, describing the trend as a “dreaded intoxication” and warning that youngsters were being turned into “bandhua mazdoor” (bonded labourers).Referring to AI, Gandhi said the data consumed and generated by young people was helping AI systems develop.Gandhi structured his speech around “dard” (pain), data and “daulat” (wealth). He said the pain and data belonged to the youth, while the wealth generated from them was being concentrated in the hands of a few. He said the youth were the country’s strength and pride.A youth sharing the stage with Gandhi criticised paper leaks and the normalisation formula. Two Allahabad University students also interacted with him and detailed problems at the university and the ongoing agitation.Gandhi said avenues in manufacturing, entrepreneurship, public and private sector jobs, corporate, IT and banking were shrinking, with AI increasingly being used by influential corporate houses, including Adani and Ambani. He also alleged that people associated with RSS ideology had been appointed to head various institutions, affecting the entire system.Despite his criticism, Gandhi said the country’s youth had “lighted the path” towards a promising future. He appealed to them to reject hatred and violence and change the system through love.“You are India, spirit and future, and the most beautiful youngsters of the world. Do not allow hate and violence, but open the Mohabbat Ki Dukaan (shop of love),” Rahul said.He presented his formula for India’s 21st-century economy — “youth plus data”. He said India has around 40 crore young people, one of the country’s greatest strengths, while each youngster consumed around 1GB of data a day. “Youth + data = 21st-century economy,” he said, linking the potential of young Indians and the data they generate to economic growth and AI development.Breaking from his usual white t-shirt, Rahul arrived wearing a pink half-sleeved shirt. He began with “Namaskar. Hello, how are you?” and thanked the gathering for organising the event. “The city belongs to my family, and I’m always happy whenever I come here,” he said, recalling his association with Prayagraj and mentioning Allahabad University, which he described as the best university in the country.The programme drew a large gathering of students and competitive exam aspirants despite waterlogging and muddy patches at the venue. Students raised concerns over hostel facilities and competitive examinations. Dance performances by rappers from Mumbai were staged before his arrival. A day earlier, Congress had taken out a motorcycle rally led by Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai.BoxABVP, BJP activists stage protestABVP and BJP activists staged a brief protest near Rahul Gandhi’s cavalcade on Saturday, waving saffron flags as he travelled to the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme at KP College Ground. Police personnel deployed along the route immediately intervened and cleared the way for the cavalcade. The protest lasted briefly, with security personnel preventing the demonstrators from obstructing the convoy’s movement. The incident occurred amid heightened political activity in the city over Gandhi’s visit and his programme focusing on issues concerning students and youth.
