Talks fail, ink attack, hospitalised protester: Jharkhand stir hits day 15

The agitation over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations entered its 15th day on Saturday after talks between the state government and the student protesters failed to break the deadlock.

The government will, however, hold talks with another faction of protesting job aspirants at 10 am.

After the first round of discussions between a 10-member delegation of the 'JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch' and a government panel headed by Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar on Friday night, the students decided to continue their protest and hunger strike until their demands, including the cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, were met.

The students also warned that they would go ahead with their planned Vidhan Sabha march on August 10 if the government failed to fulfill their demands by Sunday.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), meanwhile, announced it would stage a march against the alleged irregularities in recruitment exams.

The 'JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch' meeting with the government panel was held after the protesters submitted a revised delegation list, replacing an earlier 11-member panel to which the administration had objected over the inclusion of an advocate.

"The meeting was held in a positive atmosphere, and the government assured us that our demands would be considered. However, we have decided to continue our protest until all our demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, are fulfilled," a JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch leader had said after the meeting.

The students are demanding the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exam and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state, besides comprehensive reforms in the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

"We met the students' delegation and are sensitive to their concerns. We are ready to consider their demands sympathetically, and the outcome will be visible soon," Sudivya Kumar had told reporters.

Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the students' demands had been conveyed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

"He is concerned about the students and there will be an outcome soon," she said.

Soren had earlier said his government was ready for dialogue with the protesting students.

"We are ready to hold talks. Every student in the state is welcome to place their grievances before us. We will move ahead with strong reforms in line with students' demands," he had said.

The other group led by Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for seven days, is scheduled for talks with the government and had submitted the names of an eight-member delegation.

According to the group's members, they have been invited to talks at 10 am on Saturday at the state guest house.

The agitation, which began on July 25 under the banner of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, has grown into one of Jharkhand's largest student-led movements in recent years.

However, concerns over the health of the protesters deepened after student leader Rahul Kranti, one of six people on an indefinite hunger strike, was admitted to Ranchi Sadar Hospital after his condition deteriorated. Kranti, who is still at the hospital, had been fasting since Tuesday night.

Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi on Friday visited the hospital and urged the students not to risk their lives, saying they had a long battle ahead.

Health Minister Irfan Ansari also met Kranti on the chief minister's instructions and said the students were receiving proper medical care under specialist supervision.

The movement also drew support from across the political and social spectrum. Jayant Jaipal Singh, son of tribal icon Jaipal Singh Munda, visited the protest site at the stadium named after his father and extended his support to the students.

He urged them to keep "bad elements, miscreants and outsiders" away from the movement and continue fighting for fair recruitment.

Two Left-backed student organisations -- the All India Students' Association (AISA) and the All India Students' Federation (AISF) -- on Friday organised a march towards the Assembly in solidarity with the protesters.

The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, however, clarified that it was not part of the march, though it welcomed moral support from any organisation.

The march was briefly disrupted when AISA national president Neha Bora was targeted with ink by a man near Birsa Chowk. The accused, identified as Amarnath Pandey, was detained by police for questioning.

Bora alleged that the attack was an attempt to intimidate the student movement, while the BJP dismissed the charge, calling the incident a "stage-managed drama". The ABVP also denied any involvement and condemned the attack.

The agitation also resonated inside the Jharkhand Assembly, where BJP legislators disrupted proceedings, demanding a court-monitored CBI probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities and forcing the House to be adjourned for the day.

So far, 19 people have been arrested in connection with the irregularities in JPSC exams. Former JPSC chairman L Khiangte has been questioned four times since July 28.