Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
The agitation by JPSC aspirants in Ranchi continued for the ninth consecutive day, with protesters taking out a torchlight march on Sunday to press for their demands.
A large number of candidates participated in the march, carrying torches and placards and raising slogans demanding prompt action from the state government.
The protesters said they had been seeking action on their grievances for a long time, but the lack of a concrete response had increased their resentment. The torchlight procession was organised to draw the government’s attention to their demands and intensify pressure for a resolution.
The participants maintained that their agitation would continue until the government takes concrete steps on the issues raised by them.
The JPSC controversy has triggered sustained protests in Ranchi, with candidates demanding action over alleged irregularities in the examination process and seeking a fair and transparent resolution of their concerns.
Meanwhile, differences among protesters becoming increasingly visible.
The development became evident on Sunday when two separate tents were seen at the protest venue at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium. Until Friday, students had been staging the agitation together under a single tent.
The emergence of two groups has triggered discussions over whether the students’ movement is gradually splitting into rival factions or whether political interests are beginning to influence the agitation.
The focus at the protest site is no longer limited to the alleged examination irregularities and the demand for an impartial probe. Different groups of students have reportedly started making allegations and counter-allegations against each other. While one group claims to have the backing of a political party, another group has also claimed political support.
Despite the differences, both groups maintain that their primary demand remains an impartial investigation into the alleged irregularities in the examinations and stringent action against those found responsible.
However, differences over the leadership, conduct and future strategy of the agitation have raised questions over the unity of the movement.
One section of students believes that the agitation should remain completely non-political to retain its credibility. Another section argues that support from social and political organisations is natural in a larger public movement and can help strengthen the campaign.
The division was particularly noticeable on Sunday, when the number of protesters did not appear to rise significantly despite expectations of a larger turnout on the weekend.
Separate meetings were held by different student groups during the day to discuss their respective strategies and the future course of the agitation. There is also speculation that fresh programmes may be announced to expand the movement in the coming days.
