When I ask my classmates about their plans after graduation, the answers often begin with the name of another country. For many young people in Kerala, going abroad is no longer a dream. It is the default plan.
It would be easy to say this is about money. It is partly about money. But when we talk about it, the reasons are broader.
We want work that matches what we studied. Many of us have seen older siblings and cousins wait years for jobs that never came, or take jobs unrelated to their degrees.
We want a certain kind of life. Independence, reliable public transport, cities where you can go out in the evening, workplaces where young people are taken seriously.
We want to be paid for our skills. Salaries for entry level professional jobs at home can feel very low compared with the cost of living and the cost of our education.
Our friends are going. Migration builds on itself. Every person who leaves makes it easier for the next.
What might make us stay? Not speeches about loyalty to the homeland. Jobs in the kinds of work we trained for. Cities that are pleasant to live in. A start up culture that forgives failure. A sense that young people can shape decisions, not just wait for them.
Many of us would like to stay, or to come back. Give us a reason.
This piece was written as part of the Young Thoughts mentoring program. Views are the author’s own. [Placeholder publication.]