India
oi-Gaurav Sharma
After calling off the hunger strike in Ranchi, Jharkhand’s student leader Devendra Nath Mahato termed the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL test by the state government as a “partial victory”.
Nath Mahato concluded his hunger strike in the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari. Student leaders Umme Habiba and Rahul Kranti also ended their hunger strikes after the government accepted some of the demands made by the students during the 24-day agitation.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s government cancelled the JSSC-CGL exam and TDPL exams following student protests and a 24-day hunger strike led by Devendra Nath Mahato, who called the cancellation a partial victory while vowing further action for systemic changes.
It was after a special cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren that the government decided to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam and all other exams conducted by the TSR Data Processing Private Limited (TDPL). The cabinet also decided to cancel all results that had been published and selections made by the concerned authority through the exams conducted by TDPL.
On the announcement, students gathered at the Jaipal Singh Stadium in Ranchi and celebrated the decision as a “partial victory”. However, Devendra Nath Mahato clarified that student protests would not end just because the hunger strike had been called off.
Speaking after breaking his fast, Devendra Nath Mahato thanked the government, students, parents, media persons, and police for their support and said that the students’ voices had been heard. However, he added that stronger measures would have to be taken to prevent future malpractices like paper leaks and other irregularities in the recruitment examinations.
“We cannot say we are satisfied as there is still a long way to go,” said Devendra Nath Mahato, adding that student protests would continue in order to bring about systemic changes to the state’s recruitment process.
Speaking about the students’ demands, student leader Piyush Kumar said that the cancellation of the exams was a “first step”, adding that students would demand a CBI inquiry and action on all other issues.
Thus, while the Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel the JSSC-CGL exam and related exams has been welcomed by the protesting students, the student leaders have reiterated their resolve to continue protesting until all issues relating to the examination process are resolved.
