According to a World Bank study, the share of senior citizens went up by eight per cent annually on an average. Photo shows workers at a tea plantation in Kandy.— File Photo: AFP

The estate sector consists of the State-owned plantations which comprise over 170,000 hectares, most of which is devoted to tea and rubber cultivation. The plantations were originally set up by the British colonists in the central parts of Sri Lanka. Between the middle of 19th century and the early 20th century, mostly people from Tamil Nadu were brought in to work in the estate sector.

A recent study of the World Bank stated that in the plantations during the period between 2003 and 2012, the number of youths of 15 years to 24 years declined. This was more so in the case of the group of 15 years to 19 years.

The average annual rate of change or growth was of the order of about minus four per cent for the age group of 15-19 years and around minus one per cent for the group of 20-24 years.

Lack of formal education

Another indicator was that not even 50 per cent of the youths of the age group of 15 years to 20 years pursued formal education. The figure was 49 per cent as against the country’s overall 66 per cent.

In contrast to the falling number of youths in the plantations, the share of senior citizens — those aged 60 years and above — went up by eight per cent annually on an average.

S. Chandrasekaran, a former professor of education and a member of the ethnic group, says it is well known that the present-day youths regard working in the plantations as inferior to their social status and they prefer to take up any work in urban areas.
The World Bank also brought out difficulties being faced by the educated youths from the plantations in getting salaried employment outside the estate sector.

Even though opportunities for them are expanding in the sector of services such as retail stores and communication centres, the scope in professional, salaried occupations is not “easily available.” Quoting a research work, the Bank’s document pointed out that the “estate youths” have to compete with better educated peers who are preferred by employers. They are also facing “stigmatisation and discrimination due to their Indian Tamil ethnicity and estate worker identity, both of which constitute a barrier in accessing non-estate job opportunities.” Consequently, the youths accept lower level job openings — domestic workers, shop assistants or construction workers — and relatively a few are able to secure jobs as semi-skilled workers, such as drivers or mechanics, the report added

(thehindu.com)