Jharkhand Leader on Hunger Strike Joins Gherao, Says Govt Must Hear Students
Devendra Nath Mahato, leader of the Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), joined the 'Vidhan Sabha Gherao' march on Monday, August 10, 2026, in support of students protesting against alleged irregularities in state examinations. The march, organised by the JPSC-JSCC Reform Morcha, sought to surround the legislative assembly to press for the students' demands.
Mahato, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days, arrived at the protest site in an ambulance. Carrying a portrait of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren, he asserted that the State government would have to listen to the students. "Despite being on hunger strike, I came here in an ambulance. The government will have to listen to us," he said.
Addressing the crowd, Mahato urged the public not to treat him as 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?" he asked.
He appealed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren not to order police action against protesters. "Today it is 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 stated.
Mahato has been staging a hunger strike at the Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, the main protest site, for the past nine days. The protest is part of a larger movement demanding action against alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). The JPSC-JSCC Reform Morcha has been leading the agitation, with students and political leaders coming together to press for their demands.
