Ranchi: The student agitation in Ranchi entered its 19th day on Wednesday, with protesters saying that the government has neither taken concrete steps on their demands nor opened a dialogue with them.
The protesters said the movement would continue for now and that a meeting of their core committee would be held to determine the next course of action. The development comes days after a major march towards the Jharkhand Assembly, where police used water cannons and lathis to disperse demonstrators.
A student protester said the administration's presence at the protest venue on the previous day had also created apprehension among those participating in the agitation. According to the protesters, a large number of administrative officials had reached the site on the 18th day, leading to concerns that the students could be asked to vacate the area.
Speaking to ANI, a student protester said, "Today marks our nineteenth day of protest. Since the movement began--and given that the government has taken no positive steps or initiated any dialogue following the August 10th protests--the core committee has decided that the agitation will continue for the time being."
The protesting students are now looking towards the core committee meeting for a decision on how the agitation will proceed.
The student representative said the protesters remained united despite the presence of administrative officials at the site. He also reiterated that the movement would continue unless there was progress on their concerns.
"A meeting of the core committee today will determine the future course of action for the movement. On the eighteenth day, the entire administrative machinery arrived in full force. There was a suspicion that they intended to clear the students out of this area, but the students stood united... For now, our movement will continue," he further said.
Meanwhile, Ranchi Superintendent of Police (SP) Paras Rana said that the officials who arrived at the protest site had not gone there with the intention of detaining the students.
The agitation is centred on alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
The protesters have raised several demands concerning the recruitment examination system. Among their key demands is the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, along with an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged irregularities.
The students are also seeking broad reforms in the state's recruitment process. They have maintained that changes are necessary to address their concerns regarding examinations conducted by the recruitment bodies.
The agitation gained further momentum following Monday's "Vidhan Sabha gherao" march organised by the JPSC-JSSC Reform Manch.
A large number of students assembled near the Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha and marched towards the Assembly as part of the protest. The demonstrators also formed a human chain while pressing for action on their demands.
The situation escalated when protesters moved towards the Assembly. Police used water cannons and lathis to control the crowd and prevent the demonstrators from advancing further.
The latest developments indicate that the student movement remains active in Ranchi, with protesters continuing to press for action on examination-related concerns. The core committee's decision is expected to determine the next phase of the agitation.
The protesting students have primarily raised demands linked to the functioning of JPSC and JSSC and the conduct of recruitment examinations. Their demands include:
With the agitation now entering its 19th day, the focus will remain on whether the government initiates talks with the protesters and what decision the core committee takes regarding the continuation of the movement.
