Ranchi: The Jharkhand students’ march towards the state Assembly intensified on Monday as security forces used water cannons after student protesters broke through police barricades.
A protester climbed atop a police barricade as the Assembly march by JPSC-JSSC aspirants gained momentum. Thousands of students are marching towards the New Assembly building to press their demands over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto said concerns of students were more important than his personal health condition.
“The future of the students here is being compromised, which is more painful than my health. It is deeply painful,” Mahto said.
Speaking further, he added, “My health is not more important than the future of the students whose opportunities are allegedly being sold. My health is very weak, but the situation is even more distressing. The future of lakhs of students is being continuously compromised.”
Mahto also said that the hunger strike launched by student leaders would continue until their demands were addressed.
“The hunger strike is still going on, and it will continue. We are heading towards the Assembly right now. The government should wake up and respond to the concerns of students,” he said.
A protesting student, Chandan Kumar, told IANS that student representatives had held discussions with ministers over the past two days.
“Yesterday, I was part of the delegation team and spoke to ministers for two consecutive days. Around 80 per cent of our demands were accepted, while the remaining 20 per cent were not. We demanded the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination and action regarding pending recruitment backlogs from 2023 to 2025,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJP Jharkhand president Aditya Sahu and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, along with party MLAs and workers, staged a sit-in protest outside Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence. Police later detained the BJP leaders and legislators who were participating in the demonstration.
Reacting to the issue, BJP Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam said the students’ concerns should be considered sympathetically.
“Everyone knows who is in power in Jharkhand. Have they met the protesting students so far? I believe the students’ demands should be considered sympathetically, just as the Government of India has done in similar situations. The Union government has also taken prompt action whenever necessary,” Nikam said.
Speaking to IANS, City SP Paras Rana said, “We have not prepared to stop the gherao. We have prepared for any violent situation or if someone tries to create a ruckus. If students come peacefully, the police will also remain peaceful. Our team will also deal with the situation peacefully.”
Jharkhand Minister Deepika Pandey Singh said the state government would allow JPSC-JSSC aspirants to protest peacefully and assured that pellet guns, tear gas, or lathi-charge would not be used against them.
She said the administration was taking all necessary measures to maintain law and order during the Vidhan Sabha gherao. Referring to the talks with student representatives, Singh said discussions had continued for several hours over the past four days and that the government had agreed to nearly all demands within its jurisdiction.
However, she noted that the students’ demand for the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination was linked to judicial directives and could not be decided solely by the state government.
(IANS)
