Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader and student activist Devendra Nath Mahto was hospitalised on Monday after his health deteriorated during a protest march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Mahto had been on a nine-day hunger strike over alleged irregularities in the state’s recruitment examinations.
Political Context
Mahto, who joined the protest despite his worsening health, was taken to Ranchi Sadar Hospital on a stretcher. He is being treated in the emergency ward. The protesters had gathered to demand greater transparency, accountability and fairness in the recruitment process. “There are many people who are not ready to listen to anyone. They are neither listening to the JPSC Reform Manch nor the Nyay Manch. “Some of them are also pelting stones. Rana added that police deliberately fired two smoke grenades, which he described as dummy rounds, in the area from where stones were allegedly being thrown. The protest has now intensified despite several rounds of talks between the government and student representatives.
He said most of the students were peaceful but alleged that around 10 per cent of the crowd was unwilling to listen and some protesters were involved in stone-pelting.
Doctors said his condition was critical after his blood sugar level dropped drastically. They have said the agitation will continue until their concerns over the examinations are addressed and concrete action is taken over the alleged irregularities. Ranchi City SP Paras Rana said the protest had initially remained “largely peaceful” but later became difficult for the organisers to control. They are not ready to listen to anyone,” Rana said. We had to use mild force to evacuate the police personnel,” Rana said. He said the move was intended to create a psychological effect and push the protesters away from that area. The government has offered a judicially monitored probe into the alleged recruitment irregularities but has said it cannot unilaterally cancel the JSSC-CGL examination.
