Shafaqna India: The streets of Ranchi echoed with patriotic slogans on Saturday as thousands of students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand’s recruitment examinations took out a ‘Tiranga Yatra’, turning Independence Day into a fresh show of defiance against the state government.
The protest led by the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch entered its 23rd day on Sunday, with protesters announcing that they would gherao Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence on August 20, demanding his resignation and an overhaul of the recruitment examination system.
The march began at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the epicentre of the ongoing agitation, and wound its way to Albert Ekka Chowk, with protesters carrying the national flag and raising slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.
The movement has brought together thousands of job aspirants, including two wheelchair-bound protesters who have been fasting. Protesters say their agitation is not confined to a handful of examinations but concerns the credibility of Jharkhand’s entire recruitment system and the future of thousands of young aspirants.
“We will gherao the chief minister’s residence on 20 August,” said JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch leader Ravindra Paswan, demanding Soren’s resignation.
Demand for independent probe
At the heart of the agitation are allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations, including the JSSC-CGL and certain JPSC examinations.
The protesters are demanding cancellation of examinations where they allege irregularities occurred and want an independent investigation, either by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.
They have vowed to continue the agitation until the government responds to their demands and have appealed to students from across the state to converge on Ranchi for the proposed 20 August protest.
Flashpoint at hospital
The agitation also spilled into a tense episode involving JLKM leader Devendra Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for 14 days.
Mahto alleged that police prevented him from leaving Sadar Hospital to join the Tiranga Yatra. Videos purportedly showing him scuffling with security personnel while attempting to leave the hospital circulated widely on social media.
The protesters framed their campaign in broader terms, arguing that Independence must also mean freedom from unequal opportunities, corruption and injustice.
Opposition steps up attack
Former Jharkhand chief minister and BJP MLA Champai Soren backed the protesting students and accused the Hemant Soren government of running a “despotic government”.
Questioning the state’s reluctance to recommend a CBI probe, Champai Soren said hundreds of students were being forced to remain away from their homes at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium even on Independence Day.
“If you are not a part of a job-selling racket, what is the problem in recommending a CBI probe?” he asked.
Soren promises reforms
The state government, meanwhile, has sought to assure job aspirants that their concerns are being taken seriously.
In his Independence Day address, chief minister Hemant Soren acknowledged that questions surrounding recruitment examinations had shaken the confidence of an entire generation of aspirants. He promised impartial investigations into allegations of wrongdoing and said anyone found guilty would face strict legal action, regardless of influence or position.
At the same time, Soren cautioned against branding individuals guilty without evidence, stressing that justice must rest on facts.
The chief minister also said merely catching those responsible would not be enough and called for structural changes to prevent manipulation of examinations in the future.
Among the measures announced are a time-bound annual examination calendar, technology-secured examinations, timely publication of answer keys and OMR sheets, and multi-level accountability across the recruitment process.
For the protesting students, however, assurances have yet to translate into action. With 20 August now marked as the next flashpoint, Ranchi’s recruitment row appears set for another confrontation between an increasingly impatient generation of job seekers and a government under mounting pressure to restore faith in its examination system.
