Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto remained hospitalised at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi on Thursday, having been on an indefinite hunger strike for 11 days over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations, as the wider protest by JPSC and JSSC aspirants continued into its 20th day at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.
Jharkhand student protest enters 20th day as hunger-striking leader remains hospitalised
Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto remained hospitalised at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi on Thursday, having been on an indefinite hunger strike for 11 days over alleged irregularities in Jharkhand recruitment examinations, as the wider protest by JPSC and JSSC aspirants continued into its 20th day at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.
Mahto was admitted to Sadar Hospital after police used batons, water cannons, and tear gas on Monday to disperse thousands of aspirants who had marched toward the state assembly. He was among those taken to hospital following the confrontation, and was moved there by the administration late that Monday evening.
In a social media post on Tuesday, Mahto stated: 'My body is undergoing treatment in the hospital bed, but my soul and resolve are at the Satyagraha site where students and youth are engaged in a just struggle for their future. The indefinite hunger strike continues on its 11th day in Sadar Hospital.' He also submitted a handwritten application to the Civil Surgeon seeking permission to return to the protest site, writing that being separated from the protesting students was causing him greater distress than his physical ailments.
Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das visited Mahto at the hospital on Thursday. In a post on X, Mahto said Das 'reached the hospital and inquired about my well-being, while also assuring support for our movement.' Das had on Wednesday threatened to go on a hunger strike himself if a demand for a CBI probe was not fulfilled within a week, and has sought compensation of Rs 1 crore each for the families of 19 people who died during the 2024 excise constable physical examination.
The JPSC-JSSC Reforms Manch has been demonstrating at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, demanding cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination, a CBI probe into alleged irregularities, greater transparency in recruitment examinations, and an independent probe by retired judges from outside Jharkhand. The ABVP has announced protests at more than 1,200 universities over the issue and has questioned the credibility of the state-appointed SIT, citing repeated changes in its composition.
- The source does not state the current medical condition or health status of Mahto beyond the fact that he is hospitalised and on hunger strike.
- The source does not include any statement or response from the Hemant Soren state government regarding the students' allegations about withheld health information or restrictions on hospital visits.
- The source does not state what response, if any, the Civil Surgeon gave to Mahto's application to return to the protest site.
- The source does not detail what specific irregularities in the JSSC-CGL or other examinations are alleged, or what findings, if any, the state-appointed SIT has produced.
- The source does not state how many students are currently participating in the agitation at Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.
- The source does not clarify whether the 11-day hunger strike count refers to days since the original hunger strike began or since Mahto's hospitalisation.
Read the original at The Times of India