Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) : Hundreds of unemployed youth under the banner of the Himachal Pradesh Educated Berojgar Sangh marched toward the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on Friday, demanding swift action to fill vacant posts in various government departments.
Raising slogans, the protesters called on the State government to address the issue of unemployment by accelerating the recruitment process. The leader of the protesters, Pawan, expressed frustration over the lack of progress in government hiring since the Congress government took office.
"Since the Congress government came to power, the 86 post codes that were advertised should have been filled by now. The process needs to begin in the newly formed selection commission. Our main demand is that the selection process must start immediately," Pawan said.
He highlighted the alarming unemployment statistics in Himachal Pradesh, noting that government figures estimate around 8 lakh unemployed individuals in the state, while unofficial estimates put the number as high as 12 lakh.
"Himachal Pradesh ranks second in unemployment in India. In a population of 70 lakh, there are 12 lakh unemployed. We are protesting in a democratic manner, but no one is listening to us," Pawan said.
The demonstrators warned that if the government does not take their concerns seriously, they may resort to more severe forms of protest. "We have no other option because the unemployment rate keeps rising. If the government doesn't take action to channel the demographic dividend effectively, and if our demands are not met, we will be forced to escalate our protests," he said.
Among the protesters was Shubhi Bhardwaj, an unemployed student, who spoke passionately about the disillusionment many young people feel. "We are all students, not affiliated with any political party. We believed in electing the Congress government, but now we have eight clear demands, which include regular recruitment and the end of outsourced hiring.
The youth preparing for these jobs are frustrated, wondering if they will ever get a seat. Everyone has knowledge, but no one is getting a chance. Exam papers are being leaked, and that must stop," Shubhi said.
She stressed that their movement was not political but a plea for fairness and opportunity. "We support the government, but the government must also support us and listen to our demands. Some people try to politicize this issue, but our eight demands are not political.
We are simply students and unemployed youth asking for a future. I believe the government is responsible, and despite economic challenges, if it doesn't listen to us, what does our future hold? We will discuss our next steps, but for now, we hope the government will support us," Shubhi added.
The youth say they are sidelined despite their educational qualifications and have demanded for swift action and transparency in government recruitment processes.