Patna, Nov. 1: “Jinnah… who? Why are they discussing politics at a job fair?” asked a puzzled Vishwakarma from Ganj village in Bhojpur.

The youth had travelled all the way to SK Memorial Hall in Patna to attend a three-day job fair where over 125 companies were screening 2 lakh youths for 25,000 vacancies. The memorial hall was also playing host to a debate on Mohammed Ali Jinnah with expelled BJP MP Jaswant Singh discussing his book Jinnah: India, Partition, Independence. The debate topic was “culprits of India’s partition”.

Often the proclamation of “Jaswant’s great job of unveiling the reality of partition” hit the youths’ ears.

“We are not concerned about the past at all. Why are they disturbing us? The loudspeakers are distracting the boys,” said Dinesh Bhagat from Vaishali who was accompanying his “computer literate” son, applying for a job in a BPO.

Besides, Singh, the programme also saw JD(U) leader and MP Digvijay Singh, journalists Prabhash Joshi, M.J. Akbar, activist Teesta Setalvad and politicians Arif Mohammad Khan participate.

The programme architect was rebel JD(U) MP Ezaj Ali who organised the programme despite NDA leader Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi categorically disassociating themselves from the venture.

A strong section of the JD(U) feels that “in defiance of the leadership” Ali was trying to emerge as the sole champion of the backward Muslims. Ali is also the chairman of his backward Muslim Morcha. The JD(U) recently suspended him for anti-party activities.

Interestingly, Ali often drew participants’ attention to the large turnout and referred to them as the “revolutionary Bihar crowd” once supporters of Jaiprakash Narayan and now in favour of Singh and his book. The fact remained that the better part of the assemblage was made up of unemployed youths.

“These leaders are such liars. Why are they pretending that we are here for them. We have come here to find jobs not to listen to their rhetoric,” said an ITI-trained job aspirant.