Barbed wire fences, angry students: What Express saw at Jharkhand protest

On Monday, August 10, a large group of students and job seekers marched towards the Jharkhand Assembly in Ranchi, protesting irregularities in state recruitment exams and demanding a CBI investigation. The demonstration started near the old Assembly complex in Dhurwa and saw protesters breach several layers of police barricades as they approached the new Vidhan Sabha.

The Jharkhand government had earlier agreed to cancel three exams, including the preliminary examination for the 14th JPSC Combined Civil Services, and agreed to a probe by the Enforcement Directorate into financial irregularities related to the exams.

Heavy security measures were in place, with police using water cannons, lathicharge, and tear gas to disperse the protesters. Despite the intense police force, the students managed to enter the Assembly premises. Among the participants was Devendra Nath Mahto, who had been on a 10-day hunger strike and carried the Indian flag and a portrait of former Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren.

The protest came a day after the government's concessions, yet the atmosphere remained tense. Students, many of whom were battling the heat and exhaustion, reached the Vidhan Sabha, where they were met with further resistance from the police. As the situation escalated, the administration deployed additional security personnel and riot-control vehicles to maintain order.