'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra': Sharad Pawar Stands with Youth's Struggles & Demands

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday, October 24, stated that the Maharashtra government cannot ignore the youngsters who are participating in the 'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra' in Maharashtra if they want to be in power.

The 'Yuva Sangharsh Yatra' is a 45-day foot march aimed at raising awareness of the challenges faced by Maharashtra's youth. NCP MLA Rohit Pawar is leading the March with the support of Chief Sharad Pawar.

The yatra, which started in Pune on Tuesday, 24 October, will cover more than 800 miles and span 13 regions. The yatra will culminate during the state legislature's winter session in Nagpur. The march begins each day at 5:30 am, covering distances of 17–23 km. The March aims to bring the government's focus to the young population's pressing issues.

आमदार श्री. रोहित पवार यांनी सुरुवात केलेल्या महाराष्ट्रातील तमाम युवकांना विश्वास आणि बळ देणाऱ्या ‘युवा संघर्ष यात्रा’ याला आजपासून पुण्यातून सुरुवात झाली. यावेळी उपस्थित सर्व तरुण युवकांना मार्गदर्शन केले.

सन्माननीय व्यासपीठ लोकसभा आणि राज्यसभेचे सर्व उपस्थित मान्यवर… pic.twitter.com/unFC0JGEvQ

— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) October 24, 2023

Addressing an audience during the march, Sharad Pawar expressed confidence that this yatra will ignite change and help the youth achieve their demands. He highlighted the government's recent decision to withdraw contractual recruitment, which coincided with the yatra's start.

Pawar said that the government's ignorance towards the youth could have negative consequences. He asserted that maintaining control while disregarding the youth's peaceful march was an unacceptable approach. He further made a number of demands from the government.

One of the calls from the youth is for educational institutions to remove the excessive fees and refund overcharges to parents. They also advocate for the development of information technology sectors in cities like Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, and Amravati, and filling vacancies in schools and colleges through the MPSC.

Other demands include ending the school adoption programme and halting the cluster school project. They have also called for rules that will prevent exam paper leaks. That also means hiring over 2,50,000 personnel across various departments and waiving interest on student education loans. Pawar emphasised the need for a dialogue with the government to address these concerns.

Sharad Pawar assured the gathered youth that he would personally engage with the Chief Minister to arrange a meeting to discuss their demands. The youth will hold the CM accountable for the decisions and timelines related to these demands.