Jharkhand police use water cannons on students protesting exam irregularities

Jharkhand police use water cannons on students protesting exam irregularities

Police in Ranchi used water cannons on Monday, August 10, to disperse thousands of job aspirants attempting to march toward the state assembly. The protesters, affiliated with the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch, were conducting a Vidhan Sabha Gherao march to protest alleged irregularities in the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) recruitment examinations.

The agitation, which entered its 17th day on Monday, saw students breach three layers of police barricades and barbed wire. Some protesters were seen climbing over the fortifications, with one student dancing atop a barricade as security forces attempted to halt the procession. The march began from the old Assembly complex in Dhurwa and headed toward the new Vidhan Sabha building.

Security was heavy along the 4-km route, with more than 1,500 personnel deployed from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), district police, and QRT. Authorities implemented prohibitory orders under Section 163 BNS within 750 metres of the Assembly. To monitor the crowds, police used drone cameras and paintball markers to identify potential agitators.

Political Friction and Detentions

The student unrest coincided with the 51st birthday of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. BJP leader Pratul Shah Deo urged the Chief Minister to treat the occasion as a return gift by accepting student demands and cancelling exams conducted by the outsourcing agency TDPL.

Parallel to the student march, BJP leaders staged a protest outside Chief Minister Soren’s residence. Police detained several opposition figures, including state president Aditya Sahu and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. Marandi stated that the government was attempting to distract the public and insisted that the JPSC-JSSC-CGL examinations be investigated by the CBI.

Pratul Shah Deo further alleged that MP Aditya Sahu had been placed under house arrest starting at 7 am on Monday. The administration maintained that security measures were non-partisan and intended only to prevent law and order disruptions.

Inside the Assembly, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato criticized BJP legislators for their absence during Question Hour, specifically naming Raj Sinha, Chandreswar Prasad Singh, and Nagendra Mahto. This occurred as the legislators were involved in the protests at the Chief Minister's residence.

Hunger Strikes and Student Demands

Student leader Devendra Nath Mahato, of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), joined the march despite being on a nine-day hunger strike. Mahato, who arrived in an ambulance and proceeded on a stretcher, reported losing 10.5 kg during his fast. Carrying a portrait of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren, Mahato criticized the use of spiked barricades, asking, "Is this the Pakistan, Bangladesh or China border? These are students."

Mahato urged the Chief Minister to avoid police action that could lead to bloodshed, referencing previous protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. He asserted that the government's refusal to meet demands was inviting anarchy.

Other student leaders, including Ravindra Paswan, emphasized that the movement remained peaceful and constitutional. Volunteers wearing white T-shirts marked VOLUNTEER formed human chains to maintain discipline and prevent vandalism.

Government Response and Deadlock

The state government has attempted to resolve the crisis through several measures:

• Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar accepted the resignations of three JPSC members—Jamal Ahmed, Anima Hansda, and Ajita Bhattacharya—on August 9.
• The government announced a CID probe into the 14th JPSC and 2023-25 backlog recruitments.
• An Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into financial irregularities was proposed, with the ED registering an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Monday.
• Plans for a fast-track court and an expert committee for recruitment reforms were announced.

Despite these steps, talks remain deadlocked. Student leaders insist that the movement will not end without a CBI inquiry into the JSSC-CGL examination and the total cancellation of that specific exam.