Chaos at Howrah station as police detain at least 20 job seekers ahead of Nabanna Abhiyan

As many as 20 job seekers were detained by the police at Howrah Station on Thursday morning. They were held to prevent a planned protest march toward Nabanna, the state secretariat. The job seekers, representing the 2009 Primary Teachers' recruitment and the State Group D category, were detained by the police even before their rally could formally commence. The protesters had arrived from various districts across West Bengal with the intent to demand immediate recruitment for posts that have been vacant for over a decade.

The atmosphere at the station turned tense as police personnel intercepted groups of candidates as soon as they alighted from trains. Visuals from the scene showed protesters being bundled into police prison vans amidst loud slogans against the state government. According to senior police officials, the detentions were a preventive measure to maintain law and order and to ensure that the busy traffic corridors leading to the state secretariat were not choked by unauthorized demonstrations.

These job seekers have been agitating for years, claiming that despite several court orders and government assurances, the 2009 recruitment process remains incomplete. This isn't the first time they have attempted a 'Nabanna Abhijan' (March to Nabanna); similar protests in the past have frequently ended in clashes with the police or mass detentions. Protesters expressed their frustration, stating that they were forced to return to the streets because their legitimate demands for employment were being ignored by the administration.

By midday, the security cordon around Howrah Station and the approaches to the Vidyasagar Setu were further tightened. While some candidates managed to evade initial detection, the primary organized march was effectively stalled.