Ranchi: The first round of dialogue between the Jharkhand government and students protesting alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations ended without a settlement on Friday, despite both sides describing the meeting as cordial and constructive.
The protesters said they would continue their agitation until all their demands were addressed, including the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission examination. They also warned that they would march to the Jharkhand Assembly on August 10 if the government failed to take concrete steps by Sunday.
The government opened negotiations with the protesters on Friday evening, when a 10-member team from the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch met a ministerial delegation led by Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar in Ranchi.
After the meeting, delegation leader Ravindra Paswan said the government had assured them that their demands would be examined sympathetically. However, he made it clear that the talks had not led to any decision that could persuade the protesters to call off their agitation, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“The meeting with the Jharkhand government was held in a positive atmosphere. It assured us that our demands would be considered. However, we have decided to continue our protest till all our demands, including cancellation of the 14th JPSC examination, are met,” Ravindra Paswan, who headed the students’ delegation, told the media after the talks.
Kumar said the government had taken note of the concerns raised by the students and would examine the issues placed before it.
“We met the delegation of student protesters. The government is sensitive to their demands and is ready to consider them sympathetically. The outcome will be visible soon,” he said.
Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the delegation’s demands had been brought to the notice of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
“The chief minister is concerned about students and an outcome will come soon,” she said.
Soren had earlier expressed his willingness to engage with the protesters and invited students to present their grievances before the state government.
“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 said.
Another Group Seeks Talks
Meanwhile, a second group of protesters led by Devendra Mahto said the government had also invited it for negotiations. The group, which has been holding a hunger strike for six days, said it had submitted the names of an eight-member delegation for the proposed meeting.
The protesters have sought the scrapping of the 14th JPSC examination and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities. They have demanded that the inquiry be conducted either by the Central Bureau of Investigation or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside Jharkhand.
The agitation, which began over alleged irregularities in JPSC recruitment examinations, entered its 14th day on Friday. Six protesters were continuing their hunger strike.
Earlier on Friday, the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch submitted a fresh list of representatives after the government objected to its earlier 11-member delegation. The previous panel included an advocate and two technical experts.
The revised delegation included student leaders Ravindra Paswan, Piyush Kumar, Rajesh Prasad, Neetu Kujur, Ankit Raj, Kartik Soren and Shalu Kumari, among others.
AISA Leader Neha Bora Targeted With Ink
The continuing agitation also saw a separate protest march by the Left-backed All India Students’ Association and the All India Students’ Federation. The two organisations marched towards the Assembly in support of the students demanding action over the alleged examination irregularities.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch distanced itself from the Assembly-bound procession organised by AISA and AISF, though it said it had no objection to other groups extending moral support to the agitation.
The march was briefly interrupted near Birsa Chowk when a man allegedly threw ink at AISA national president Neha Bora. Police detained the alleged attacker, identified as Amarnath Pandey, for questioning.
Bora alleged that the incident was meant to frighten those campaigning against the alleged recruitment irregularities. The BJP rejected the accusation and termed the incident a “stage-managed drama”.
The ABVP also denied having any role in the incident and condemned the attack.
The recruitment examination controversy also led to disruptions inside the Jharkhand Assembly. BJP legislators demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged irregularities and disrupted proceedings, following which the House was adjourned for the day.