Frustrated by prolonged delays in government hiring, two major organizations representing job aspirants in Karnataka have announced separate protest rallies in Dharwad on December 8 and 10. The move comes after their previous demonstrations failed to spur action from the state and central governments to fill lakhs of vacant positions across various departments.
Two Rallies, One Demand: Fill Vacant Posts Now
The Akhila Karnataka Vidyarthi Sanghatane (AKVS), led by Kantaraj, has declared it will hold a peaceful padayatra on December 8. The march is scheduled to begin from Srinagar Circle and proceed to the Deputy Commissioner's office in Dharwad. Separately, the Udyogakankshigala Horata Samiti has announced its rally for December 10. These plans follow a denied police permission for a rally on December 1, which led to the detention of around 40 candidates near Srinagar Circle.
Kantaraj highlighted the government's negligent attitude, recalling a major protest where lakhs of unemployed aspirants took to the streets in Dharwad on September 25. "Since our demands have not been fulfilled, we have organised another peaceful padayatra," he stated. He issued a stern warning: "If the govt fails to treat this issue seriously, protests by youth may intensify, and the govt will be entirely responsible for the consequences."
Government Inaction and Police Force Condemned
Leaders of the agitation expressed deep disappointment with the administration's response. Bhavanishankar Gowda, a leader of the Udyogakankshigala Horata Samiti, told reporters that aspirants are undeterred by the police force being used to curb their voice. "Our efforts to draw the attention of the govts through memorandums... have failed to elicit action by the govt," he said. He accused the government of trying to suppress their efforts with police force instead of solving the core problem of unemployment.
Key Demands of the Job Aspirants
The organizations have put forth a comprehensive list of demands to address the recruitment crisis:
- Immediate recruitment to fill all vacant posts in state and central government departments, not just a limited number.
- Age limit relaxation: For police constables, enhancement to 33 years for SC/ST candidates and 30 years for General Category. For all posts, a five-year relaxation due to no recruitment in the past five years.
- Resolution of confusion regarding internal reservations and immediate issuance of recruitment notifications.
- Reduction of hefty application fees and provision of free transport for candidates appearing for exams.
- Annual announcement of vacant posts by various departments and a pre-planned recruitment calendar.
- Complete transparency and fairness in the recruitment and examination process.
- Establishment of Indira Canteen facilities near coaching centres.
The stage is set for a significant showdown in Dharwad as the unemployed youth of Karnataka seek to amplify their call for jobs, putting pressure on the authorities to act before the situation escalates further.
