Ironical scenes unfolded amid the 79th Independence Day celebrations being observed nationwide on Saturday, as student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who is on a hunger strike for 13 days, was prevented by the police from joining a Tiranga Yatra in Ranchi. Moreover, he was also stopped from hoisting the national flag at the city’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium on the occasion.
Mahto, who is undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, alleged that police used force to prevent him from leaving the facility and also assaulted some of his supporters.
Heavy police deployment outside hospital
Mahto had expressed his desire to participate in the Tiranga Yatra and hoist the Tricolour at the stadium. After this, police personnel were deployed in thick numbers outside his hospital room. Mahto shared several videos on his official ‘X’ handle, alleging that the cops tried to prevent him from leaving the hospital by the use of force and also manhandled some of his supporters.
His statement read, “For several days now, I have been sitting on a hunger strike. Today, the police tried to push and forcibly stop me. They also assaulted my fellow companions who were present with me."
Mahto, despite his prolonged hunger strike, maintained that he remained firm on his demands and vowed to continue raising what he termed the ‘voice of the people.’
He added, “We cannot be silenced by stopping us in this manner.”
CM Soren assures students of transparency in exams
The development surfaced as the Chief Minister (CM) of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren assured students that his government was working in the direction of ensuring transparency in competitive examinations, particularly those conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Soren, in an address at a state-level Independence Day celebration, said, “For me, the youth of the state are very important to me and their faith in us. We have decided to bring changes in the system. Transparent examinations will be ensured."
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren
He went on to say that the state government had launched the ‘Chhatron Ki Baat-Chhatron Ke Sath’ initiative to seek suggestions from students on improving the education system. He added that student participation would remain crucial to building what he termed a ‘good education system.’
Mahto warns against dividing student movement
Earlier, Mahto had appealed to the protesting students from his hospital bed, cautioning them against attempts to derail or divide the student movement in Jharkhand. He alleged that some external elements were trying to divert the direction of the protests nearly a month after their inception.
Ravinder Paswan
He pleaded with the participants to remain united and not allow the movement to break apart or lose its focus. On the other hand, student leader Ravinder Paswan said earlier in the day that on the occasion of India’s 79th Independence Day, protesting students in Jharkhand would focus only on the country’s freedom and would refrain from putting forward their demands before the government.