Jharkhand Student Protest: On the ninth day of his hunger strike, student leader Devendra Nath Mahato joined the Jharkhand student protest on a stretcher on Monday. Mahato, a prominent face of the agitation, continues to demand the cancellation of state recruitment exams over alleged exam irregularities. Carrying former Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren's portrait, student leader Mahato said, "Despite being on hunger strike, the barbed wires will not be able to stop us. I came here in an ambulance. The government will have to listen to us."
As the protest enters day 17, a large number of student protesters gathered near the Vidhan Sabha in Ranchi during the march against the alleged irregularities in the examinations and recruitment process. The protesters formed a human chain and marched towards the Vidhan Sabha amid heavy security and barricading.
Why Does Govt Want Anarchy?
The 33-year-old leader said to the public not to make him a hero. "I am no God or messiah; I am a common man. There will be no change in my personal life. But the barbed wires hurt more than the hunger strike. Students crossed three layers of barricading. Why does the government want anarchy and not agree to students' demands?" Mahato said.
Further, he urged CM Hemant Soren not to take police action against protesters.
"Today it's CM Hemant Soren's birthday, and he should not take such a step where some unfortunate events like at the Jantar Mantar take place here. Do not do anything that causes someone to bleed or get injured and makes the crowd even more agitated. Arrest is a legal process, but there should be no bloodshed. If the government does not agree to the demands, it will be remembered as the one which killed democracy. I will not end the fast," he said.
Who Is Devendra Nath Mahato?
Mahto is a student leader and social reformer from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He pursued higher education in 2020 from Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University in Ranchi. He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Ranchi parliamentary constituency as an independent candidate.
During the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly election, Mahato contested from the Silli Assembly constituency as a candidate of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM).
The 33-year-old holds first-division postgraduate degrees in Sanskrit, Kurmali, and tribal and regional languages. He also earned a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) degree from Hazaribagh, according to India Today.
In recent weeks, Mahto has emerged as the most prominent face of the statewide agitation over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations conducted by the JPSC and JSSC.