‘Educated unemployed’ turns cobbler in Godhra

VADODARA: Until a month ago, Omveer Mandrey was like any other cobbler, polishing and repairing shoes and bags in Godhra. But he has been drawing lot of attention in the town since a week. Reason: He has put up banner that screams ‘Shikshit Berozgar Dwara Sanchalit (Run by an educated unemployed), at his roadside shanty.

A commerce graduate from Islamia Karimiya Degree College, Indore who also completed a course in industrial training, 24-year-old Omveer struggled to get a job with decent income. In fact, he had quit Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) mid-way in 2013, but managed to complete the degree last year. Before that he got a certificate as a computer operator from a private Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Adadara village near Godhra in August last year.

“I was told that the ITI course would help me get a good job, but this is far from truth. I applied at several places and attended apprenticeship as well as recruitment fairs, but things did not work out. There are other jobs that I can take up, but these do not pay well. I can earn more doing this work,” says Omveer.

Omveer was offered a job in local pulse mill but the pay was again paltry.

Fed up the daily drudgery of job hunting, he eventually decided to become a cobbler, whose skills were taught to him by his maternal uncle who does the same for living in Godhra.

Omveer’s father Jagdish Mandrey is a retired police head constable from Indore. Omveer said that he studied in Godhra till class 10, but went back to Indore later. “I was looking for a job even in school. I got one in a restaurant, but left due to miserable salary,” he said.

The banner seems to have worked well for Omveer who says he is getting more customers now. “Officers and many others noticed the banner and started coming to me in larger numbers. I earn Rs 8,000 to Rs 9,000 a month from this shop,” he said.

Jagdish says that his son made all efforts to get a good job, but could not do so. “He would have even tried for police recruitment, but his height was not enough,” said the father.