The Jharkhand government has announced fresh talks with the agitating students after multiple rounds of negotiations failed to break the deadlock, and the protest entered in 16th day on Sunday.
The decision for another round of talks was taken after a four-hour meeting between the government panel and Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday evening.
Rural Development Minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the panel had apprised the chief minister of the demands and concerns raised by student delegations during the discussions. “It was decided in the meeting with the chief minister that a final round of talks with the protesting students will take place at 12 pm on Sunday,” she said.
The Hemant Soren government has so far held five rounds of talks with different student groups, including the Congress’ student wing NSUI, Jharkhand Chhatra Manch and Adivasi Chhatra Sangh. It held discussions with the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch that has been spearheading the agitation on Friday, and talks happened with Devendra Nath Mahto-led group on Saturday.
Despite the talks, the protesters have maintained that their agitation will continue until all their demands are fulfilled. They have also announced a march to the Assembly on August 10 if the government fails to meet their demands by Sunday.
Students Accuse Jharkhand Govt of ‘Political Manoeuvring’
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch accused the Jharkhand government of “political manoeuvring” by announcing another round of talks with student organisations, alleging the move was aimed at creating divisions among protesting students and diverting people’s attention from their core demands.
Ravindra Paswan, a leader of the JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch, claimed the government was attempting to weaken the agitation by holding discussions with organisations that had “played no role in the ongoing protest”.
“This is political manoeuvring by the government. It is trying to create a divide among students and divert attention. But they should know that all students are united,” Paswan said at a press conference at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, where students have been protesting since July 25.
What Happened During Friday and Saturday Talks
An eight-member delegation of the Mahto-led group met the government panel, which comprised five members. The delegation of the protesters comprised Rama Avatar Mahto, Chandan Kumar, Dinbandhu Mandal, Bimal Kumar, Puja Kumari, Prem Kumar, Ravi Shankar and Amit Kumar Sharma.
State minister Dipika Pandey Singh said the talks were held in a positive atmosphere and recruitment discrepancies explained by students will be resolved soon.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Sudivya Kumar said the government has issued an email ID, [email protected], seeking suggestions from aspirants on reforming the recruitment processes.
The first round of talks between a 10-member delegation of theJPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch and a government panel failed to break the deadlock on Friday.
The students are demanding the cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exam and an independent probe into the alleged irregularities either by the CBI or by a panel of retired high court judges from outside the state, besides comprehensive reforms in the JPSC and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Jharkhand Protest: What Are The Demands
The protesters say their movement is aimed at ensuring a transparent and corruption-free recruitment process in Jharkhand. Their key demands include:
- Cancellation of the 14th JPSC Civil Services Examination, alleging large-scale irregularities.
- An independent investigation into the recruitment process, either by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or by a panel of retired High Court judges from outside Jharkhand.
- Structural reforms in JPSC and JSSC to ensure fair and transparent recruitment in future examinations.
The CID, probing the alleged recruitment scam, has so far arrested 19 people and former JPSC chairman L Khiangte has been questioned four times since July 28.