Devendra Nath Mahato joined a march to surround the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly in Ranchi to demand action on student grievances.
The protest highlights growing tension between the state government and students over alleged irregularities in the JPSC-JSSC examinations. The movement seeks to force official accountability for the testing processes.
Mahato, leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), participated in the 'Vidhan Sabha gherao' march while on the ninth [1] day of a hunger strike. Due to his physical condition, he joined the procession first in an ambulance and later on a stretcher.
The protest occurred on March 3, 2024 [2], which coincided with the birthday of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Mahato used the timing to call for peace and a lack of violence during the demonstration.
"Today it's CM Hemant Soren's birthday, and he should not take such a step where some unfortunate events like at the Jantar Mantar take place here," Mahato said. "Do not do anything that causes someone to bleed or get injured."
Mahato said that no government representative had come to negotiate with the protesters at that time. He warned that the administration would eventually be forced to address the demands of the students.
"Govt will have to listen to us," Mahato said.
The marchers aimed to press the government to resolve the examination disputes without police intervention or violence. The JLKM leader emphasized the need for a dialogue to prevent further escalation of the protests.
“"Govt will have to listen to us."”
The intersection of a hunger strike and a legislative blockade indicates a high level of desperation among student activists in Jharkhand. By timing the protest to the Chief Minister's birthday, the JLKM is attempting to leverage public and political visibility to force a resolution on civil service examination irregularities that have stalled career prospects for many candidates.
