The agitation by Jharkhand students intensified on Monday as thousands of JPSC-JSSC aspirants marched towards the state Assembly to press their demands over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, with security forces using water cannons after protesters broke through police barricades.
A protester was seen climbing atop a police barricade as the march towards the New Assembly building gained momentum. The students have been demanding action over alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The protesters said they would continue their peaceful demonstration and carry the national flag as a symbol of their commitment to a non-violent movement. They are demanding justice and action against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, including a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe and cancellation of a JSSC examination. The state government has rejected both demands.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been participating in the agitation, said the protest had entered its ninth day and that his health had deteriorated due to the ongoing hunger strike.
"Today is the ninth day of the protest, and my condition is quite weak. I have been continuously giving updates, and my health is worsening. However, the pain and suffering faced by students due to repeated paper leaks are far greater," Mahto said.
He later said that concerns over the future of students were more important than his personal health.
"The future of the students here is being compromised, which is more painful than my health. It is deeply painful," Mahto said.
"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," he added.
Mahto said 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 doctor monitoring Mahto's condition said he was relatively better than the previous day, but had experienced weakness and low blood sugar levels. He was administered intravenous fluids and his vital parameters were stable.
Students say talks failed to resolve key demands
The agitation intensified after several rounds of talks between student representatives and the Hemant Soren government failed to produce a breakthrough on the key demands.
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.
The protesters have also been seeking a CBI probe into alleged examination irregularities and cancellation of a JSSC examination.
One student said, "We are heading towards the Vidhan Sabha, and our protest will be peaceful. Students are coming from far-off places to participate. Until the government accepts our demands, we are not going to stop."
Another student said he had cleared three examinations but had not been allotted a job, adding that this was one of the reasons behind the protest.
The protesters repeatedly emphasised that the march would remain peaceful and said they were carrying the national flag and no weapons.
Government says most demands accepted
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 that fell within its jurisdiction.
However, she said the students' demand for cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination was linked to judicial directives and could not be decided solely by the state government.
City SP Paras Rana said the police had not prepared to stop the gherao but had made arrangements to deal with any violent situation or attempt to create a ruckus.
"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," Rana told IANS.
BJP leaders detained during protest
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 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.
The student agitation has now entered a critical phase, with thousands of aspirants continuing their march towards the Assembly and the government maintaining that most demands within its jurisdiction have already been accepted.
The protesters, however, have said they will continue their agitation until their remaining demands are addressed, keeping the deadlock between the students and the state government unresolved.
