May 6: Absu is chanting the entrepreneurship mantra. At two camps held to popularise the concept at Gambaribil in Gossaigaon sub-division and Tipkai in Parbatjhora sub-division, the All Bodo Students Union drove home the point that nothing was more important than self-dependence.

The target group of these camps is not only limited to the unemployed youths but also self-help groups and social organisations.

Absu vice-president Pramod Boro said the union would hold the entrepreneurship awareness programmes in 21 sub-divisions all over the state.

He said most of the unemployed youths in the community did not have information on the facilities offered by various financial institutions. They lack proper knowledge of how to develop productivity or market share or repay loans drawn from the financial institutions. He said there was a communication gap between the financier and loan takers. “Absu is working to bridge the communication gap through the awareness camps,” he said.

Boro said though the region had a lot of scope for development in diverse fields and many youths were keen to undertake the path lack of proper channel stood in the way for most of them. “We have a lot of scope for sustainable development in every field but because of lack of information, our unemployed youths have been missing the opportunities.”

Boro expressed concern over the large exodus of youths to other states in search of greener pasture. “Hundreds of unemployed Bodo youths are leaving home in search of jobs in metros and cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana. Many of them end up as bonded labour. Around 10,000 Bodo youths are working in different industries and factories in Bangalore and Mumbai. There is also a mass exodus to Gujarat to work in fish-packaging factories,” he said. “This has caused great loss to our work force and is a matter of great concern,” he added.

The entrepreneurship programmes at Gambaribil and Tipkai have been able to draw huge participants as unemployed youths, both men and women.