Jharkhand protesters begin hunger strike after being stopped from marching to CM residence

People associated with the prolonged movement for the creation of a separate Jharkhand state on June 10 staged a protest in Ranchi to press their long-pending demands.

Under the banner of the Jharkhand Andolankari Sangharsh Morcha, agitators from various districts attempted to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence.

However, police stopped them near Sido-Kanhu Park by putting up barricades, following which the protesters sat on a dharna on the road.

The demonstrators, who marched from Morabadi Ground accompanied by drums and traditional music, said that those who had struggled for years for the formation of a separate state of Jharkhand have still not received due recognition and rights.

They are demanding official recognition, a dignified pension, compensation, and government jobs or employment for their dependents.

During the protest led by Morcha’s Principal Secretary Pushkar Mahto, the agitators alleged that the government has been ignoring their demands for a long time.

They said that thousands had participated in the statehood movement and many had sacrificed their lives, but even 25 years after Jharkhand’s formation, the condition of such activists remains unsatisfactory.

There was also a brief verbal altercation between the protesters and the police during the demonstration. The agitators alleged that they were stopped from moving forward and were not treated with due respect.

They maintained that they were not seeking special privileges but official recognition and respect for their contribution.

Protest leaders further alleged that some people travelling to Ranchi from different districts were stopped on the way, while a few were detained. However, there has been no official response from the administration on these claims.

Intensifying the agitation, 17 protesters have begun an indefinite hunger strike. Leaders warned that if their demands are not addressed soon, the protest will be expanded further.

They asserted that Jharkhand is not merely a geographical entity but the result of a long struggle and sacrifice, and those who played a role in its creation deserve prompt action on their demands.

--IANS