RANCHI: In one of Jharkhand’s biggest-ever student agitations, protesters on Monday breached multiple barricades, including those equipped with barbed wire, and reached Gate No 1 of the state assembly, in what was the closest protesters had come to the legislature since the state was formed.
Several agitators and four policemen were injured in clashes during the march, as police used water cannons, tear gas and lathi-charged job aspirants protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, officials said.
While protesters, including women, alleged they were injured in the police action, authorities said four policemen suffered injuries during stone pelting by the demonstrators.
Notably, the march began from outside the old assembly building in capital Ranchi at around 10.30am. The protest also coincided with Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s 51st birthday.
Even after reaching the assembly, the students remained firm on their demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC preliminary examination and a CBI inquiry into the JSSC-CGL examination. They staged a sit-in and refused to leave until their demands were fulfilled.
The district administration tried to persuade them to leave after the assembly was adjourned for the day, but the students refused to recede.
The situation began to deteriorate as protesters repeatedly attempted to push past heavy barricading installed about 100 metres from the assembly complex. Police used water cannons and fired tear gas shells, but the protesters refused to retreat. Police then resorted to a lathi-charge.
The protesters responded with slogans and a massive uproar, leading to a chaotic situation.
Several protesters, including women, claimed they were injured in the police action. At least four students were injured in the lathi-charge, according to eyewitnesses.
The assembly was adjourned for the day in the afternoon.
'Baton charge was barbaric'
Ranchi City SP Paras Rana, however, said four policemen were injured in stone pelting during the march. "Three of them received head injuries... While the majority of the protesters were peaceful, about 15 per cent became unruly," Rana stated.
Ranchi Rural SP Gaurav Goswami said a mild lathi-charge was carried out after some protesters attempted to reach the final barricade, where prohibitory orders under Section 163 were already in force.
“Very mild lathi-charge was used. Meanwhile, we are continuously engaging with the students,” said the Rural SP. Protesters were calm and had agreed to remain at the spot for some time, he added.
Police used water cannons when the protesters reached the Jagannathpur Temple, while several rounds of tear gas shells were fired as they came within around 200 metres of the assembly.
Piyush Kumar Soni, one of the demonstrators, alleged that several women protesters were also injured. “The baton charge was barbaric. We were protesting peacefully, but the government used batons against us. They can only inflict physical injuries, not harm our thoughts,” he said.
“Many girl students suffered injuries. Police hit us on our head, arms and face,” he claimed.
Vikram Kumar, who came from Hazaribag district, also claimed to have suffered a head injury.
Student leader Ravindar Paswan alleged that protesters were chased for a kilometre and beaten by police after he was separated from the march.
“Thousands of students who arrived here on our call were chased and brutally beaten by the police for about one kilometre. This is not democracy. Hemant Soren should not become a dictator. Many of our friends, the agitating students, suffered injuries due to the lathi-charge,” Paswan asserted.
'Cowardly government'
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days over the issue, reached the protest site in an ambulance and participated in the march on a stretcher. He said the agitation would continue and had now become a “people’s movement”.
“The reverse of the word ‘yuva’ (youth) is ‘vayu’ (air), and no one can stop the air,” Mahto said.
Highlighting the determination of the protesting students, he said, “You can see their pain in this Assembly march. Despite being on a nine-day hunger strike, I have come here in an ambulance and am participating in the march on a stretcher. But the government is trying to suppress our voice by using water cannons and tear gas shells. This is reprehensible.”
Mahto accused the government of being “scared” and called it a “cowardly government”, alleging that whenever the government feels threatened, it pushes the police to the front.
“We will continue to move forward. We have held three rounds of talks with the government, and it should accept our demands. If the demands of the students are not met, the Chief Minister’s position will be in jeopardy. The government will be shaken,” said Mahto.
Earlier, Mahto had objected to the installation of barbed-wire barricades along the route of the assembly march, saying anger was building among students over alleged injustice.
“We will not hold any talks now,” he said, alleging that the government was trying to suppress the students’ voice.
JLKM MLA Jairam Mahto, who joined the agitation a day after holding a fast over the issue, questioned the police action. “The students are protesting peacefully; why is the police trying to restrain them? They are not carrying lathis in their hands,” he said.
Another protester, Jyoti Mahto, said the agitators would continue their sit-in until their demands were met.
“We were expecting gifts from the chief minister on the occasion of his birthday. But, what we received were baton-charge, tear gas and water cannons. Until the government fulfils our demands, we will not go home,” another protester said.
The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state president Shashank Raj described the police action as a “black day for democracy” and alleged that several protesters were injured. He urged the chief minister not to be “insensitive” towards the students’ demands.
Meanwhile, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also condemned the lathi-charge, use of water cannons and tear gas, alleging that students with legitimate demands were met with police force instead of dialogue. It also announced a fresh march to the Vidhan Sabha on August 11.
The JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, which is spearheading the agitation, said it had deployed around 500 volunteers to prevent anti-social elements and troublemakers from joining the march. The organisation also appealed to students to maintain peace during the protest.
“Even the tear gas turned out to be a scam—it's not stinging anyone's eyes at all, just billowing out thick smoke. What a crazy situation. All students, maintain peace,” it posted on X.
In another post, the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch said, “This flood is the outrage of 8 years, my dear Chief Minister ji, we are not even demanding your resignation. Just accept our demands.”
More than 1,500 personnel from the Rapid Action Force, Indian Reserve Battalion, district police and quick response teams were deployed along the nearly four-kilometre route, officials said. Prohibitory orders were also imposed in the area.
The protesters have been demanding comprehensive reforms in the functioning of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC), cancellation of several recruitment examinations, and an independent probe either by the CBI or a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state into the alleged irregularities.
The protesters also claimed that the government had agreed to cancel only three of the 13 examinations they want scrapped.
The government has held several rounds of talks with the protesters, but has so far failed to break the deadlock.
Meanwhile, the state’s Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar alleged that the BJP had “hijacked” the students’ agitation for political gains.
(With additional inputs from PTI and ANI)
