From “Begging” to “Half-Naked protests”: Telangana’s jobless revolt in Jubilee hills bypoll
HYDERABAD: In the upscale lanes of Jubilee Hills, where political campaigns typically use billboards and grand rallies to prove their muscle power, a bypoll candidate is rewriting the script. Instead of spectacle, he is leading a “begging protest” of unemployed aspirants outside the revered Peddamma Thalli Temple in Jubliee Hills. This bold act, along with other demonstrations like “half-naked protests” and “Chilaka Josyam(Parrot Astrology),” stands out.
O.U. Kashinath, Jubilee Hills bypoll candidate and Chairman of the Telangana Unemployment Joint Action Committee, is using this unconventional campaign to challenge the political status quo. Fueled by the frustration of jobless graduates, his campaign has turned the election into a public reckoning over the government’s broken promises to the youth.
Speaking to HyderabadMail, O.U. Kashinath, “The state government turns a blind eye to the struggles of its people, and when we raise our voices, their answers are nothing but empty gestures. To make our message impossible to ignore, we will stage a blindfolded and handcuffed appeal in Rehmant Nagar on Tuesday”. He further added that we demand the immediate release of the job notification and the striking down of Government orders 29 and 46.
Representing the Telangana Unemployed JAC, we submitted nearly 20 nominations, only to see most rejected. Now, I stand as the last one remaining, determined to keep fighting this battle, added Kashinath.
The group’s first event, a “begging program for Telangana unemployed people,” was held at the Jubilee Hills Peddamma Thalli Temple, launching their protest sequence. This event served as a stark visual metaphor for the desperation faced by jobless youth and further demonstrations by the coalition.
From “Begging” to Chilaka Josyam(Parrot Astrology)
The JAC event title is clear, “Congress government’s Chilaka Josyam(Parrot Astrology) will be told to the unemployed.” This phrase criticizes the government for making empty promises about jobs, as chilaka means parrot, a symbol of fortune-telling. The “begging protest” and “Chilaka Josyam(Parrot Astrology)” accusations mark an escalation. The youth are moving from submitting demands to public protests designed to shame the government for failing to fulfill promises.
Speaking to Hyderabad Mail, Bhukya Kumar, JAC vice chairman, said, “The Congress government promised two lakh jobs, 25,000 teaching posts through the Mega DSC, and the removal of G.O. 29 and G.O. 46. However, nothing has materialized.” He further added, “We demand a CBI enquiry into the Group 1 recruitment process. The Congress government had clearly cheated the unemployed.” The JAC vice chairman also called for the discussion of unemployment issue in every Assembly session, with a formal report prepared to address it.
Telangana Unemployed JAC issue 30-Point “Charter of Demands” ahead of Jubilee Hills byeelections
Telangana Unemployed JAC has released a 30-point charter that includes job notifications, an unemployment allowance, and changes to the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC). The group’s demands, released under the banner “Jai Telangana, Jai Jai Unemployed Student,” cover job notifications, examination reforms, unemployment allowances, and an overhaul of the public service commission.
A key demand is to revise the retirement age for government employees. Students want the age, raised from 58 to 61, reduced back to 58. They say this will create new vacancies while managing the transition. Students are demanding job notifications before the local body polls. They highlight 5,944 G.P.O. posts, 16,000 police roles, and 25,000 teaching positions as urgent priorities.
They are also calling for a comprehensive job calendar listing all vacancies across state departments, along with immediate action to fill thousands of Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4 posts. Their demands include canceling G.O. 29 in C Group-1 to restore reservations for SC, ST, BC, and Minority groups, and G.O. 46 in SI and PC rules to support rural youth in police recruitment. The students also seek an end to contract and outsourced jobs, insisting that all government positions be filled through direct recruitment.
Key recruitment demands include a single notification for DSC, Model School, and Gurukul posts, specialized TET patterns for specific subjects, an overhaul of the TGPSC, and a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities in the Group-1 exam.
The unions demand a Rs 5,016 monthly unemployment allowance for 30 lakh unemployed youth with degrees, as assured. They call for filling all SC, ST, BC, and Minority backlog vacancies, as well as posts in departments such as Electricity, Health, and Irrigation. The group also wants 50% private sector reservation for SC, ST, and BC. The students insist that the unemployment problem be discussed in every Assembly session and a formal report be prepared to address it.
