Devendra Nath Mahto: From government job aspirant to protest icon

On August 10, as thousands of Jharkhand students marched through Ranchi to gherao the State Assembly, Devendra Nath Mahto appeared amid the crowd, held aloft by supporters. With a framed photograph of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren in one hand and the other raised toward the protesters, flower petals were showered on him as cameras followed his every move.

For a man who has spent a decade organising student protests, the attention is new only in scale. Mr. Mahto, 33, has emerged as the most prominent face of the agitation over alleged irregularities in the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) preliminary and Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC) examinations. He has been on an indefinite hunger strike since August 2 and was hospitalised after the August 10 march, but has said he will continue his fast.

The current agitation began days after the JPSC results were declared on July 2. As a leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), Mr. Mahto held a press conference on July 5 questioning the examination process and submitted a set of demands to the Governor two days later. On July 8, protesters burnt an effigy of the JPSC chairman at Albert Ekka Chowk. After a meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren on July 20 yielded little, Mr. Mahto called for an indefinite sit-in at Bapu Vatika in Morabadi on July 25, later moving to Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium.

The protest has since grown, with gheraos, marches and a continued hunger strike by at least six other students, even after three rounds of talks with the government that led to the cancellation of JPSC prelims and backlog exams of 2023-25. However, Mr. Mahto says the protest will not be called off until all exams conducted by TDPL, a private exam conducting agency, are cancelled — including JSSC-CGL — and a CBI investigation is recommended.

Owing to his political affiliations, a section of students set up a separate stage days into the protest, insisting it remain independent of political parties. Mr. Mahto responded by refusing to take the stage again when politics became a point of discussion. His bed was moved below the stage as he affirmed, “This is the stage of students and their issues, not of any political party.”

There was little in Mr. Mahto’s early life to suggest a political career. Son of Vishambar Mahto, a retired government teacher, he grew up in Rahe village in Ranchi district. His elder brother Dhaneshwar Mahto is a farmer. He was sent to Bundu, about 10 km from the village, for his matriculation and intermediate education. He later moved to Ranchi, completed his B.Ed in Hazaribagh and postgraduate studies in Sanskrit and regional languages at Ranchi University till 2022.

“He wanted to be a teacher,” his brother said. “As any village child, he also wanted a simple government job to lead his life. That is why good education was prioritised.”

That changed in college. In 2016, Mr. Mahto began protesting over student scholarships. He subsequently became involved in demonstrations over recruitment rules, paper leaks and alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC exams. According to friends, he has led around a dozen agitations since 2015.

“He never spoke of becoming a political leader,” his brother said. “He spoke about raising his voice against injustice and for people’s rights. He says he does not care if anything happens to him.”

Friends describe him as an able orator, persistent and unusually tolerant. Chandan Kumar, a close friend and colleague since 2016, said Mr. Mahto could bring students together and lead their voices. Even though Chandan distances himself from politics, he supports Mr. Mahto for the student cause. “He is always thinking about the welfare of Jharkhand’s students,” Mr. Kumar said.

As the hunger strike continues, Mr. Mahto’s resolve appears unshaken. The government has held multiple rounds of talks, but the protesters’ core demands remain unmet. For now, the man who once sought a simple government job has become the symbol of a movement that has drawn thousands to the streets — and a reminder of how exam irregularities can ignite a broader outcry.