ET : Farmers shun country roads for jobs : Nov 7,2007
Indias tech-edged economic growth making transition difficult for farm workers
Malini Goyal NEW DELHI
AT 21, life should be about unlimited possibilities. Never mind where you are and who you are. Mubarik, 21, a farmers son, an M-Com student, living in Mewat region in Haryana, one of the poorest districts in India, too dreams. Of a better future and a comfortable life. In this farming-led village with one primary school, no hospital, no public transport, no entertainment and where boys get married at 17 and girls at 13, its difficult to get dreamy, he admits.
But Mubarik is trying his best. I want a job with regular income, he says. His modest dreams come backed with enormous efforts. For the last four years he has commuted 57 km one way to study commerce at a private college in Sohana, Haryana.
His father, tilling four acres of land, is determined. He wants Mubarik, the only son among his four children, to study and take up a job. At around Rs 30,000 a year, the cost is steep but that isnt the big worry. His anxieties are more basic and fundamental. Will my son get a job, he asks. What else should he do to get a job, he often seeks advice. Farm to non-farm transition in India has begun, amid stress, significant challenges and lots of hope. Lured by growing job opportunities in urban India, cajoled by a talent-starved India Inc and compelled by a crisis-ridden agriculture sector, farmers and their children are beginning to think non-agri jobs. In a nation where agriculture provides 18% of the GDP and employs 56% of its workforce, this is a critical juncture and a positive move in Indias growth trajectory. But if all exists the way it is, that farm-to-non-farm journey will be difficult.
In any geography, at any time, this farm-to-non-farm journey has never been easy. But it is particularly so in India. The contrast between rural and urban life is dramatic. Urban India, with rising consumerism, technology and media explosion feels closer to the developed world. Rural India, many with no power, no schools, little entertainment and poor communication are closer to sub-Saharan Africa.
Rural workers are natural candidates for government, quasi-government jobs where they can be absorbed easily and transition is easier, says Crisil India chief economist Subir Gokarn. In fact thats been the easiest route to shift rural workers and create middle class for many nations. But in India the government isnt hiring, in fact its role in job creation is rapidly shrinking. In China, the booming manufacturing sector requiring plenty of blue-collar workers has helped. The Chinese factories have been absorbing thousands of illiterate, unskilled farm workers with the lure of better salaries, says Heidrick & Struggles managing partner (Asia Pacific) Karen Fifer. But in India, the economic growth has been services-led creating primarily a white-collar employment boom. These jobs are at the top end of the value chain in sectors like IT, R&D, banking and engineering services. And the skills these sectors need like communication, customer care, English fluency are much higher than available with rural folk.
Ask Anjum Hussain, 22, from Mubariks village in Mewat. A farmers son, he struggled to study law from Alwar, Rajasthan. His attempts to land a decent job have not been very successful. He joined as a customer service associate at a call centre in Gurgaon for Rs 6,200 per month a few months back. The weather did not suit me, he says. The villager did not take to the AC environment, he later added when pushed to elaborate. He moved back to his village and has taken up a parttime job in the adult literacy mission. Our village youth are not able to adjust to the city life, says Mubarik Hussain, who works with Sehgal Foundation to provide livelihood opportunities to the village youth.
Its a challenge that many young Indians who are making their first transition from villages to the cities are facing. Sudhir Kumar, 25, a graduate from Champaran in Bihar who works at a small firm in Gurgaon echoes the challenge. The hi-fi culture, my inability to speak English makes it very difficult for me to find a decent job. Without connections in a big city, often these rural educated youth feel lost and daunted, no matter how talented they are. They dont know how to write their resumes or find their way in the city, hence opening doors becomes difficult. Worse, their poor communication skills shut doors on them if ever they open, says ruralnaukri.com CEO Ajay Gupta, a job portal that caters to rural workers. It had launched a programme on agri-business management.
Fortunately the stress in agriculture is happening when a sizzling India Inc is grappling for talent. This has pushed companies to reach out to potential rural workers, something they wouldnt have done otherwise. Companies like ICICI Bank are diluting urban-centric hiring criteria. My customer-care executives should be courteous, be able to address my customers concerns. Who says English is necessary to do this, asks ICICI Bank chief human resource officer K Ramkumar. Many companies like Airtel, ITC, ICICI Bank, who see future potential in rural markets, have all been hiring locally. Because they realise thats the only way to understand local markets and manage attrition. Gupta of ruralnaukri.com admits enquiries from companies looking for rural workers have surged.
Organised retailing, just beginning to take off, may have the biggest impact on creating jobs for rural youth as companies gear up to build farm-to-fork linkages. We see economic opportunity in connecting rural workers with corporate India, says ITC agribusiness CEO S Sivakumar. Not-for profit sector is chipping in too. Outfits like Dr Reddys Foundation, The Sehgal Foundation are exploring ways to provide vocational training to rural youth and equip them with job skills. We see enormous demand, says Sehgal Foundation group leader Anjali Makhija. Working with youth in Mewat region, they are offering training workshops for electricians, auto-mechanics, etc.
Of course, the corporate sector, scrambling for talent, will do its best. But for them their bottom line will define and dictate everything they do. The farm-to-nonfarm transition involving millions of Indias rural youth will need significant resources and attention. So far, the role of government, bureaucracy and politicians has been minimal. But if rural India has to celebrate Incredible India, it will have to change.