Lifes elsewhere

Dont go to Australia for frivolous courses thats facile advice from External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna. There are any number of excellent institutes in India in Delhi,Mumbai and Bangalore. I would suggest to parents that they should be discreet in choosing higher education institutions for their children, he said,while being sniffy about facials,hairstyling and various other things for not measuring up to the IIT standard. Of course,the minister is not oblivious to the fact that many of these students are not going in the pursuit of academic excellence,but to convert their flimsy visas and savings into jobs. It is one thing to object to the blatant huckstering that facilitates this flight the entire network of no-name universities in Australia,and agents and middlemen on both sides. It is also entirely reasonable to worry about the perils of a barely legal,vulnerable existence in Australia,where these young people working low-level jobs trigger the hostility and aggression of a large pool of citizens jostling for the same things.

There has been a visible spurt in incidents of violence against young Indians,though it is unclear whether they are racially motivated or scattered instances of street crime. This has resulted in a stark drop of student applications. Australian immigration department figures,for the period from July to October 31 last year,show a 46 per cent drop in student visa applications from India compared with the same period in 2008. The government there is more reluctant to hand out visas,and young people here more wary.

But the minister is ignoring the core causes of this emigration. Where are these any number of excellent institutes that can guarantee lifestyles on a par with what these students seek? It isnt parental discretion that makes a young adult choose between aiming for IIT and a hairstyling course. With our appalling paucity of educational and employment opportunities,not to mention a complete disregard for vocational,job-driven learning,it is absurd to complain when students strive,at great personal cost,to make a life elsewhere. Unless India manages to address that only normal appetite for material advancement,it is in no position to lecture people who simply want better options. You cant ban hustle its a sign of life.