SSC job seekers protest at Salt Lake, clash with cops; Several detained

Once again, job seekers in Salt Lake have taken to the streets to protest, with upper primary job aspirants staging a demonstration at Karunamayi on Monday. The protestors called for a blockade around the SSC (School Service Commission) building, echoing similar protests held in various parts of Kolkata in recent months. Starting from the Karunamayi metro station, rows of frustrated job seekers marched through the streets, demanding action on their long-pending employment.

As the protestors attempted to breach the guardrails and head towards the SSC building, they were stopped by the police. However, a large group of job aspirants managed to reach the APC building, breaking through police barricades. The situation became difficult for the police, as job seekers approached the SSC from multiple directions, creating chaos and making crowd control a challenge.

The protest comes after a decade of struggle by upper primary job aspirants, who have been awaiting recruitment despite a favorable order from the High Court. According to the court, there is no legal obstacle to hiring these candidates, yet no steps have been taken to address their grievances. The job seekers, desperate after years of agitation, are now determined to claim their rightful positions.

One of the protesting job seekers voiced the collective frustration, saying, “We want counseling and recruitment today. We have been fighting for 10 years. The court ordered the panel to be published in four weeks, but nothing has been announced.” The aspirants are demanding that the second and third rounds of counseling be completed by October 28, between Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja, as per the division bench’s order. A total of 14,052 job aspirants are awaiting counseling, and the protesters accuse certain commissions of negligence in delaying the process.