PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Unemployed nursing graduates under the banner of the Nursing Ekta Manch (NEM) took out a protest rally on Sunday from Behel Chowk towards the chief minister’s residence to voice their long-standing demands. A number of unemployed nursing graduates from various districts of the State participated in the rally. The protesters have been on strike for the past 94 days at the designated protest site in Ekta Vihar, yet the government has not addressed their concerns. The rally was organised on International Women’s Day with the aim to make the government pay heed to their demands.
It will be recalled that the nursing graduates are demanding a transparent recruitment process that favours candidates based on their year-wise seniority after completing their qualifying examinations, among other issues.
The NEM president Naval Pundir stated that nursing candidates have been peacefully protesting for 94 days without any concrete decision from the government regarding their demands. They staged the protest rally on Sunday due to the protracted governmental apathy. During the rally, female nursing graduates dressed up as various prominent figures including Bharat Mata, Gaura Devi, Rani Lakshmibai, as well as representations of the army, doctors and lawyers. This rally conveyed the message of women’s contributions and their power in various fields. Pundir emphasised that the protest would continue till the government takes a clear and concrete decision.
He said that the budget session of the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha will commence on March 9. Considering this, the NEM decided to organise the rally one day before the session to ensure that their demands are highlighted during the session.
