Start volunteerism movement, youth told

The silver lining in the pandemic is the volunteerism that has come to the fore, Industries and IT Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said on Thursday.

Hyderabad: While the first and second waves of Covid was a cause of trauma for several people and put the healthcare system to strain, the pandemic also brought out the innate tendencies of many youths to help those in distress. The silver lining in the pandemic is the volunteerism that has come to the fore, Industries and IT Principal Secretary Jayesh Ranjan said on Thursday.

Speaking at India@75, organised by CII Telangana, University of Hyderabad and TSWREIS, he urged the youth to take the lead in launching a volunteerism movement in the State. “We need to start a strong movement of volunteerism whether there is a pandemic or not. It could be led by young people,” he said, adding that the State government would support such initiatives.

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The migrant labour bore the brunt in the first wave and many took to the road to reach their native places. At this juncture, many youths came forward to offer them food, snacks, footwear, travel facilities, among other forms of assistance. In the second wave, the healthcare system was under stress and many joined the dots to give updated information on the availability of beds, medicines, ambulances and oxygen at various hospitals. “Many assume that youth spend all their resources on gadgets, shopping and eating out. That is not true. They have been at the forefront to help the needy during the pandemic. They are action-oriented and do not stop at lip service,” he said.