Widespread Civil Unrest Brews in Bengal as Job Seekers and Civic Bodies Unite for July 28 ‘Nabanna Chalo’ Movement

Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Kolkata, June 28, 2025 :  A strong wave of civil discontent is sweeping across West Bengal, with a large section of deprived job seekers and unemployed youth coming together under the banner of the West Bengal Deprived Job Seekers, Jobseekers and Job-losers’ Unity Forum. This collective has announced a major statewide mobilization—‘Nabanna Chalo’, a protest march to the State Secretariat on July 28—as a manifestation of public frustration over rising unemployment, alleged recruitment corruption, and administrative inaction.

The movement, garnering growing public and organizational support, is backed by prominent civil society bodies including the West Bengal Democratic Citizens’ Forum and the Sangrami Samiti Manch. These groups, standing in solidarity with the Unity Forum, held a joint press conference to outline their concerns and a series of demands aimed at addressing what they describe as an alarming erosion of democratic accountability and justice in recruitment processes across the state.

Among the key demands put forth are the immediate implementation of a transparent and permanent recruitment process to fill an estimated 600,000 vacancies in various state departments. Protesters are also calling for complete autonomy for recruitment bodies such as the Public Service Commission (PSC) and School Service Commission (SSC), to ensure independence and integrity in the hiring process.

Another significant concern raised is the plight of candidates whose appointments were either cancelled or withheld due to alleged corruption. The Forum is demanding immediate reinstatement of these eligible individuals. The agitators have also emphasized the need to revive the SSC 2016 panel by publicly releasing the OMR sheets to verify eligible candidates and finalize appointments that have remained in limbo for years.

Furthermore, in line with earlier commitments made by the Education Minister, the Unity Forum is pressing for the issuance of new SSC notifications to address 1.5 lakh vacant teaching posts in higher educational institutions. They are also demanding the payment of 25% of outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA) to state government employees, in accordance with an interim Supreme Court directive.

Beyond employment-related grievances, the movement also encompasses broader social concerns, including women’s safety and the protection of OBC candidates’ constitutional rights, particularly those affected by recent changes in classification policies.

Shubhajit Duttagupta, convenor of the West Bengal Democratic Citizens’ Forum, emphasized that this movement is not merely a call for jobs but a larger campaign to restore democratic and civil rights. He asserted that the Forum, acting as a unified platform for multiple civic organizations, is committed to intensifying the struggle and empowering marginalized voices. “The long wait of the deprived and the continued reaction of neglect demand an urgent collective response,” he said.

Duttagupta further alleged that the results of numerous state recruitment exams have either been unduly delayed or manipulated, exacerbating the crisis of unemployment and heightening public mistrust in institutional fairness. He issued a strong call for all civil society organizations, including those not currently affiliated with the Forum, to come together in a united front of resistance on July 28.

As disillusionment with governance and procedural opacity deepens, the ‘Nabanna Chalo’ movement appears poised to become a significant episode in the state’s civic and political history. The stage is set for a showdown between a government grappling with legitimacy questions in its employment policies and a coalition of citizens determined to reclaim transparency, justice, and their right to dignified livelihoods.