A student protestor in Ranchi has said he does not think he will survive much longer as the agitation by JPSC-JSSC aspirants entered its 23rd day, with the hunger strike continuing for 13 days.
“The government is not serious at all. I don’t think I will survive much longer; the situation is critical,” protestor Prem Nayak said.
Nayak said he developed a fever on Friday and that authorities tried to take him away for treatment, but he refused. He also said that the authorities took Devendra Nath Mahato away and were not allowing him to return, claiming that their intention was to break the movement.
PROTESTERS PLAN AUGUST 20 GHERAO OF CM’S RESIDENCE
Nayak said discussions were ongoing among protesters about laying siege to Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence, although nothing had been finalised. He said a ‘Jail Bharo Andolan’ would be a better option than laying siege to the CM’s residence and suggested shutting down all schools and colleges as another measure.
The protesters have announced that they will burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at district headquarters across all 24 districts of Jharkhand on Sunday. They have also announced a gherao of Soren’s residence on August 20 and said they would remain there until their demands are met.
For the first time, the protesters have also demanded Soren’s resignation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has demanded cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and the 11th-13th JPSC examination, along with a CBI probe into the irregularities. It has also sought an inquiry by a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.
The protesters accused the ruling JMM and Congress of playing politics over their issues and said that the JMM-Congress alliance had failed to take concrete action on their demands. They also demanded that Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if Soren was not listening to him.
“We will gherao the chief minister’s residence on August 20. We seek his resignation as both the JMM and the Congress are playing politics with us. We also demand that Rahul Gandhi withdraw support from the JMM-led coalition if the CM is not listening to him,” JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said.
The students also criticised Gandhi, saying he had expressed support for them but that no concrete action had followed. They demanded that Congress withdraw support from the JMM-led government if it was unwilling to act on their concerns.
STUDENTS HOLD TIRANGA YATRA IN RANCHI
The agitation entered its 22nd day on Saturday as thousands of students and job aspirants took out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Ranchi to mark the country’s 80th Independence Day and press for transparency and reforms in the recruitment examination system.
The protesters marched from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the site of the ongoing agitation, to Albert Ekka Chowk. They carried national flags and raised slogans such as “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. Two wheelchair-borne demonstrators who were on fast also participated in the march.
Many students said their larger goal was to restore trust in Jharkhand’s recruitment system.
“Independence doesn’t just mean freedom from the British, but also freedom from inequality of opportunities, corruption and injustice,” the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch said.
MAHTO SAYS POLICE STOPPED HIM FROM JOINING MARCH
The protest also drew attention to JLKM leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who had been on a hunger strike for 14 days. Mahto alleged that police prevented him from leaving Sadar Hospital to participate in the Tiranga Yatra.
A video of the incident showed a security official blocking Mahto’s path as he tried to leave the hospital. Several workers of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JKLM) urged the official to allow him to join the yatra, while the official appeared to ask them to let the fasting activist rest.
Mahto questioned why he was being prevented from attending the march at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.
“After 80 years, we have realised that we have got only nominal freedom. Under which provision of the Constitution am I being stopped?” he said.
Mahto also alleged that attempts were being made to divert the students’ movement and claimed that some people were trying to dismantle the agitation nearly a month after it began.
SOREN PROMISES ACTION ON RECRUITMENT IRREGULARITIES
The escalation came despite assurances from Chief Minister Hemant Soren that the alleged recruitment irregularities would be investigated impartially.
In his Independence Day address, Soren acknowledged that questions surrounding recruitment examinations had shaken the confidence of an entire generation of job aspirants. He said anyone found guilty of paper leaks, corruption or other irregularities would face strict action irrespective of their influence or position.
Soren also cautioned against declaring anyone guilty without evidence and said justice must be based on facts. He said merely apprehending those responsible for irregularities would not be enough and called for systemic changes to prevent manipulation of examinations.
The measures outlined by the government include a time-bound annual examination calendar, technology-secured examinations, timely publication of answer keys and OMR sheets, and multi-level accountability in the recruitment process.
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