Protest continues despite withdrawal of hunger strike
Surendra Soren
RANCHI
The agitation by students demanding reforms in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment system continued on Tuesday, a day after the state government announced the cancellation of the JSSC CGL examination and all examinations conducted by TDPL agency.
The government’s decision brought relief among the protesting students, following which members of the JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum and JPSC-JSSC Candidates’ Justice Forum called off their hunger strike. However, the sit-in protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium continued.
The students had planned an ‘Abhar Yatra’ on Tuesday evening to thank the state government for cancelling the examinations, but the programme was postponed due to heavy rainfall. Student leaders held meetings throughout the day to discuss their next course of action and subsequently decided to continue the agitation.
JPSC-JSSC Reform Forum leader Vinay Mehta said the proposed gherao of the Chief Minister’s residence on August 20 had been postponed for the time being. “Our peaceful protest at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium will continue,” he said.
The protesters are also demanding a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in the recruitment examinations. Mehta said the government had not yet clarified its stand on the JPSC examinations from the 11th to the 13th Combined Civil Services examinations. “We will continue our movement until all legitimate demands of the candidates are addressed,” he said.
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who was undergoing treatment at Ranchi Sadar Hospital during the hunger strike, said he had suspended the fast following the government’s announcement, but the broader students’ movement would continue.
“Cancellation of an examination and an investigation cannot be a permanent solution,” Mahto said, stressing the need for a transparent and accountable examination system.
He demanded that recruitment examinations be conducted on time and in a fair manner, with adequate safeguards against paper leaks and other irregularities. He said the cancellation of the examination marked an important victory in the first phase of the students’ movement.
Mahto said the reform campaign would now focus on ensuring corruption-free recruitment through the JPSC and JSSC. He also sought a guarantee from the state government that future recruitment examinations would be free from irregularities and paper leaks.
Meanwhile, a delegation of students met Governor Santosh Gangwar on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum regarding an alleged incident involving police during Independence Day celebrations.
The delegation raised the issue of Mahto, who was undergoing treatment at Ranchi Sadar Hospital, allegedly being prevented from participating in a Tiranga Yatra and flag-hoisting programme on Independence Day.
The students alleged that police personnel used force and manhandled Mahto while preventing him from joining the programme. The delegation urged the Governor to take cognisance of the incident and sought appropriate action.
