Jharkhand Recruitment Protest: Students hold 'Abhar Yatra' after govt accepts demands

Students protesting alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment exams took out 'Abhar Yatra' on Wednesday, a day after the JMM-led government issued notifications cancelling 22 recruitment exams and ordering a probe into 23 others conducted by the state public service commission and an outsourced agency since 2014.

Student leaders said that the 'Abhar Yatra' (thanksgiving) procession is for all the students and guardians who supported their struggles to bring reforms and overhaul in the system. The 'yatra' was taken out from Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the protest site, to Albert Ekka Chowk. Hundreds of students from across the state participated in the procession. "This is the result of a 16-day hunger strike and 24 days of 'satyagraha'.

The 'satyagraha' started on August 24, and the hunger strike on August 2," student leader Devendra Nath Mahto said. He further said job scams, paper leaks, corruption, irregularities in recruitment exams, and lobbying for obtaining jobs in Jharkhand will not be tolerated anymore. "We will completely weed out the education mafia from its roots. This is the land of Birsa Munda, Chand Bhairav, and the land of struggle. I congratulate and thank all the students, teachers, parents and the press," he said. He also thanked Chief Minister Hemant Soren and expressed his gratitude for addressing their concerns.

Also read Jharkhand scraps JSSC-CGL, TDPL exams; forms panel to reform recruitment process

'We have postponed protest'

The student leader had been on the fast for 16 days and called off the hunger strike around Monday midnight after the state government cancelled all recruitment tests, including the JSSC-CGL exam, conducted by an outsourced agency since 2014. "Every small to big person has contributed to this movement and as a result, we have launched one of the most amazing and unique movements in the country. More than half of our demands were accepted by the CM... This was the strength of this movement," a student leader of the JPSC/JSSC Reforms Manch said. Manch leader Ravindra Paswan said, "The 26-day protest by students forced Jharkhand government to cancel 22 recruitment exams and launch a probe into 23 others.

We have postponed our protest for two months so that the state government could resolve issues and bring reforms in the system." The protest gained unprecedented support from across the nation. This 'Abhar Yatra' is dedicated to all those who supported the struggle, he added.