20 days into Jharkhand protest, students find support in free meals
Several social organisations, authors and many others have not only come out in support of the agitating students but are also serving them free food since the protest began at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here over the alleged irregularities in the public recruitment examinations.
Bhairav Singh, an RSS swayamsevak (worker), said that his team has been serving food to the agitating students since July 29, when the protest began. He said his group, 'Team Bhairav', provides free food to hundreds of students twice a day, once in the afternoon and once at night.
Mohammad Junaid Malik, who had distributed free food and drinking water to protesters at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, reached Jharkhand on August 7 and is serving meals to the students at the protest site.
"We support these students by serving them food. These are our children, and they are fighting for their legitimate rights. Most come from middle-class and lower-middle-class families. They are fighting not only for themselves but also for future generations," Singh said.
"When I see these students fighting against a corrupt system that snatches away their rights, it pains me. However, serving them food brings a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that we are helping these children to the best of our ability. We provide food to over 1,000 students daily and will continue as long as they remain here with their demands," Singh said.
He added that around 40 to 50 members of his team come to serve these students. The most admirable aspect is that, even though their rights have been denied for decades, they are not abusing anyone. They are neither raising anti-government nor anti-national slogans; they are simply standing firm on the demand that their concerns be addressed, another member said.
There was a Gen-Z protest at Jantar Mantar, and there is one here as well, but there is a world of difference in how the two protests are being conducted, he said.
Another team from the 'Hindu Jagrit Manch' arrives daily at the protest site with food for students.
Rishi Sahdev, a member of the Manch, told PTI they have been continuously providing food to the students for the past 12 days. In these 12 days, only August 10 was a day of disappointment, when many students did not eat after the police lathicharge during a march to the Assembly. On that day, the students were deeply dejected.
"Our team has 10 to 12 members, and we are very happy to serve these children. They are fighting for genuine issues. When we ourselves were students, we too had little money. These children are in the same phase of life, so supporting them is our duty (dharma)," Sahdev said.
Another team led by Ravi Singh Choudhary, who authored 'Jaago Maa' has also been distributing food among the students for the past two weeks.
A team member who was serving food said: "When this protest started at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium on July 29, these people began providing their service from that very day. On Wednesday night we served 'puri, bundiya and chane ki sabzi'. Whatever service they can provide, they are doing so with the support of Ravi Singh Choudhary."
The students' protest over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations entered its 20th day on Thursday, with the agitators refusing to call off the stir until their demands were met.
The 'JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch’ has been demonstrating at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium here, demanding greater transparency in recruitment examinations, cancellation of several tests and an independent probe by the CBI or a panel of retired judges from outside Jharkhand.
