Jharkhand govt invites agitating students for talks, protesters demand open dialogue

Ranchi: Efforts have finally begun to start a dialogue between the Jharkhand government and students who have been staging a satyagraha for the past 12 days at Ranchi’s Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and the JSSC recruitment examinations.

On Wednesday, Ranchi Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Kumar Rajat visited the protest site and conveyed the government’s willingness to hold discussions with the agitating students.

He asked the protesters to nominate a delegation of five to seven representatives, assuring them that the government was ready to discuss every issue and work towards a resolution through dialogue.

However, the students rejected the proposal for closed-door negotiations and made it clear that they would agree for talks only if the process was conducted transparently and in public view.

They insisted that any discussion with the government should take place in the presence of media and cameras.

According to the protesters, the issue concerns the future of thousands of youths across Jharkhand and is not limited to a handful of individuals. Therefore, they argued, the entire process must remain transparent and accountable.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Hemant Soren met Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar at Lok Bhavan and briefed him on developments related to the students’ agitation.

The Chief Minister said that the government was closely monitoring the situation and would ensure that no injustice was done to the students.

He stated that complaints regarding recruitment examination irregularities were already under investigation and that the agencies concerned were working with urgency.

Soren reiterated that the government was committed to resolving all issues through constructive dialogue. He emphasised that the government’s doors were open to everyone and that any individual with grievances could approach the administration.

He further said that investigative agencies were carrying out their responsibilities independently and that the truth would emerge once the probe was completed.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that allegations of irregularities in recruitment examinations were not exclusive to Jharkhand, noting that similar incidents had surfaced in several other states.

He described the issue as having acquired national significance and said that, if necessary, the matter could also be raised with the Union Home Minister.

IANS