Student anger reaches Jharkhand Assembly
Thousands defy barricades and rain, demanding recruitment reforms and cancellation of examinations marred by irregularities
A peaceful march of Jharkhand students seeking a reforms in the education system and cancellation of various public service examinations in the State on Monday was marred by use of mild force, including lathi charge, water cannons and tear gas shells by the State police, reminding the July 10 protest scenario at Jantar-Mantar in the national Capital.
As talks with the Government failed to satisfy the agitating students, thousands of students started their march to the State Assembly in Ranchi around 10 am from the old Assembly. The barricading and barbed wires set up by police to stop the students at about a dozen sites on the route could not stop them. The march was stopped by Jharkhand Police near Jagannath Temple in the city about three kilometres from the Assembly. A huge crowd of several thousand students gathered there and started raising peaceful slogans, singing the national anthem and voicing their protest through local songs and waving national flags.
Amid the protest, the crowd became uncontrollable at some point when police had to use water cannons and a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd and push them back.
However, during the commotion, several students found alternative routes through farms and fields and reached near the Vidhan Sabha, where they were again stopped at the entry point by police.
Meanwhile, several groups of students, who came from far off areas of the State, were stopped by police at different locations. They sat at different sites and continued their protest.
The situation continued till 3 pm when police used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. But the strategy utterly failed as students broke the final barricade near Jagannath Temple and went straight to Gate No 1 of the State Assembly.
Protests continued at Gate No 1 till late evening as students started demanding talks with the Chief Minister and were not ready to leave the site. Ranchi Sub Divisional Magistrate and ADM Law and Order tried to talk to students, but eventually all talks failed.
Tension and chaos prevailed after the protesters came within around 10 metres of the Assembly’s main boundary. Despite the rain, the protesters remained stationed outside Gate No. 1 of the Assembly and continued raising slogans. As the situation deteriorated, security was further tightened inside and around the Assembly premises. As a precautionary measure, employees, officials and several MLAs present in the Assembly were escorted out through another gate.
Ultimately, police had to resort to lathi charge to remove the students at Gate No 1. During the lathi charge, several students were reportedly injured, including Jharkhand Loktantrik Karantikari Morcha Leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who were sent by an ambulance for treatment.
Student leaders said their agitation was against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations and the system, and was not directed against any police personnel or individual. They claimed that they were trying to carry forward the movement peacefully.
A large number of security personnel have now been deployed in and around the Assembly. The administration is continuously monitoring the situation and making efforts to maintain peace and public order in the area.
