In seven days, Punjab Congress leaders would traverse through 23 Assembly constituencies of the State, riding on 1,000 bicycles, asking the State’s youngsters to take care of their youth.
Kick-starting the ‘Jawani Sambhaal Yatra’ from Sri Chamkaur Sahib on Tuesday, Congress legislature Party (ClP) leader Charanjit Singh Channi aimed at creating awareness and mobilizing the state’s youth against social evils and press for their rights including that to employment.
The campaign will conclude at Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, on October 3, covering an average of about 45 km every day, and will crisscross 23 assembly constituencies in the Malwa region.
The yatra was flagged off by Congress national secretary Harish Chaudhary and Indian Youth Congress chief Raja Amarinder Singh Warring.
On the first day, the yatra crossed the assembly constituency Sri Chamkaur Sahib, Morinda town, Khamanoo town falling in Bassi Pathana and finally ending up at Samrala.
Channi said that drugs have destroyed the lives of youths in the state and the situation had further compounded due to "rampant unemployment". The Akali Dal-BJP government had "failed" even to give unemployment allowance as promised, he said.
He also slammed the Parkash Singh Badal government for alleged deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Chaudhary said that the state government for the last ten years has "ditched" the youth of Punjab and did nothing for the betterment of their lives.
Warring said that the yatra will be historic as none of the leaders of any party has ever initiated idea like this. “It will create awareness among the Punjabis against the three issues, which Channi has taken in this yatra,” he said while appealing to the youth to vote for the Congress party in the coming elections so that the youth of Punjab is taken care off.