'All of Us Have Same Demands": Student Leader Devendra Nath Mahto Ahead of Meeting With Jharkhand Govt

Ranchi: Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto on Saturday said that a designated delegation will proceed to the Circuit House for dialogue with reporesentatives of the Jharkhand Government, emphasising that the demands of the aspirants remain unchanged regardless of who sits across the negotiation table.

"The team has told us that we will go for a dialogue at the Circuit House at 10 am. Had the government agreed to our demands when the other students met them, then it wouldn't have been necessary for us to go as well. It doesn't matter how many of us go to meet them. All of us have the same demands, which should be fulfilled," he said.

The protests started in Jharkhand after the results of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination were announced on July 5, with aspirants alleging irregularities in the recruitment process. Since then, students have been holding round-the-clock protests and an indefinite sit-in, demanding transparency and accountability.

The protesters demand the cancellation of the Preliminary Test (PT) for the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) Combined Civil Services Examination and a review of examinations conducted through TDPL agencies.

Student protestor Kush Mahto outlined the collective strategy for the ongoing dialogue, saying that approximately 10 people will take part in the dialogue, adding that the protests will follow if the demands are not met.

"We have decided on 10 people, possibly five from each side. The dialogue would take place under the leadership of Devendra Mahto. If our demands are not met, we will continue the hunger strike. We are growing weaker by the day, losing energy, but our morale is not breaking. If Hemant Soren doesn't fulfil our demands this time, students from all over Jharkhand will join our hunger strike," he said.

Protesting student Prem stressed that the students demand a meeting with Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and not his ministers. He also demanded the meeting to take place in an open ground instead of a closed room and to be recorded in front of major national and international news outlets.

"My sugar, BP, everything is low. The doctor told me to take water. But I feel as if I should sacrifice my body and life for this nation because this government refuses to wake up. We are being told that the dialogue would take place not with the Chief Minister but with his Ministers. I want to tell the CM that he is stretching out this protest. We want to talk to the CM directly, with the interaction recorded on video, in front of national, international, and state news outlets, and not in a closed room but in an open ground," he said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, All India Students' Association (AISA) president Neha Bora joined the job aspirants' protest in Ranchi, Jharkhand, over the alleged irregularities in the JPSC, JSSC CGL and other competitive examinations in the State.

AISA, which was also part of the protest against the NEET-UG paper leak at Jantar Mantar, has announced a Vidhan Sabha march in Jharkhand today. JPSC JSSC Reform Manch, spearheading the agitation in the state, has said that the march has "nothing to do with them."

The protesters at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium in Ranchi demanded cancellation of all JSSC CGL, JSSC JE, and PGT exams after 2019, a CBI investigation into the irregularities, strict action against the "mafias and agencies involved," disclosure of category-wise cut-offs (UR, EWS, BC-I, BC-II, SC, ST), OMR copies, and response sheets for transparency regarding the process and a recruitment calendar modelled after UPSC/SSC standards.

The JPSC JSSC Reform Manch, leading the protest, has finalised an 11-member delegation to hold talks with the Jharkhand government over their demands. The delegation comprises eight student representatives, one lawyer and two technical experts.

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