A recruitment drive for airport loaders at Mumbai airport led to a stampede-like situation, with over 25,000 applicants vying for 2,216 vacancies. The event highlighted the severe unemployment issue in the country, as candidates pushed and shoved to reach the form counters. Many had to wait for hours without food or water, causing some to feel unwell.
Air India Airport Services Limited, which provides ground handling services at major Indian airports, struggled to manage the massive crowd. Visuals from the scene showed applicants jostling with each other in their bid to secure a job that pays between ₹20,000 and ₹25,000 a month, with most earning over ₹30,000 after overtime allowances.
Aspirants from Across the Country
Prathameshwar, a second-year BBA student from Buldhana district, traveled over 400 km for the interview. He hopes to get the job despite the possibility of quitting his studies. “What do we do? There is so much unemployment. I urge the government to create more job opportunities,” he said.
Another applicant with a BA degree, unaware of the handyman’s duties, expressed his desperate need for a job. An MCom graduate from Rajasthan’s Alwar, also present, mentioned he is preparing for government job exams but came for the good salary.
Previous Incidents and Political Reactions
This incident in Mumbai followed a viral video showing hundreds of jobseekers at a walk-in interview in Ankleshwar, Gujarat. There, nearly 1,800 candidates turned up for just 10 posts in a private firm, leading to the collapse of a railing. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported.
The Congress party criticized the BJP, citing these events as proof of the “Gujarat model” of unemployment being imposed nationwide. Local BJP MP Mansukh Vasava blamed the private firm for not specifying the job criteria properly.
Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad also raised the unemployment issue, stating that the situation has worsened over the past decade, causing youngsters to gather in thousands at the mere mention of job opportunities, leading to fears of stampedes.
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