On Thursday afternoon, Golok Rajbongshi, a resident of Dahudi village in Nalbari district of Assam, committed suicide by jumping into the Brahmaputra river from the MV Bhagirathi ferry going from Guwahati to Rajadwar. He left behind a suicide note addressed to Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma. In it, he cited his deteriorating physical condition and son’s unemployment as the reason for suicide. This incident is not only the tragedy of a family but also highlights the uncertainty of employment among the youth of entire Assam.
Unemployment remains a serious problem despite employment schemes
Although the Assam government is constantly making efforts to provide jobs, the youth are still unemployed in large numbers. According to the Economic Survey 2024–25, Assam’s unemployment rate has been fluctuating between 6.1% to 9.9% in recent years. There was some relief in 2023–24 when this rate came down from 8% to 6.1%. This is being attributed to private investment and government schemes. Tata’s Rs 27,000 crore semiconductor plant is being set up in Jagiroad, which is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to about 27,000 people.
Government’s efforts accelerate but challenges remain
The government has given 1,24,000 government jobs so far, going beyond the 2021 election promise and plans to create another 50,000 jobs by May 2025. 15,000 new government recruitments are to be done under the Assam Direct Recruitment Examination (ADRE) 2024. In the private sector too, agreements worth Rs 22,900 crore were made in the ‘Advantage Assam 2.0’ summit held in February 2025, which is expected to create 6,000 jobs. Investments from companies like Amul and Tata have also created new possibilities. But despite all this, unemployment remains high in areas like Barak Valley where private investment is slow.
Golok’s death shows the real picture to the government
Golok Rajbongshi’s suicide is not just a symbol of one person’s frustration but the pain of the entire state which is related to lack of employment. More than 21 lakh educated unemployed are still registered in the employment offices of Assam. While the state’s economic growth rate has increased by 30.9% and per capita income by 12.84%, the dream of getting a job is still unfulfilled. The government will now have to make such policies which are not limited to just statistics but reach every sector and every youth. Golok’s death reminds us that behind every statistic there is a story of a family which is waiting for its bright future.
