Reform yatra launched from Shibu Soren's village amid villagers' road blockade

Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM) leader Devendra Nath Mahto on Monday launched the Bharti Vyavastha Sudhar Yatra (Recruitment System Reform Journey) from Nemra village in Ramgarh district, the birthplace of former Chief Minister Shibu Soren. The yatra is the second phase of a campaign demanding a transparent, fair, and corruption-free recruitment system for the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Mr. Mahto, who also leads the JPSC-JSSC Abhyarthi Nyay Manch, began the yatra after garlanding a statue of Mr. Soren at the government school premises. The event was inaugurated following traditional tribal customs in the presence of a senior Pahan (tribal priest). He also planted a Sakhua sapling while holding a photo frame of Mr. Soren.

The yatra will pass through Hazaribagh, Chatra, Koderma, Giridih, Deoghar, Dumka, Godda, Sahibganj, Pakur, Jamtara and other districts before concluding in Ranchi. The vehicle used for the yatra was adorned with photographs of national leaders who contributed to India's independence and leaders who played a role in the creation of a separate Jharkhand state.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mahto said the initiative was aimed at securing a better future for students who have been affected by repeated paper leaks. "For the last 26 years, students of Jharkhand have been struggling. When they go to take an exam and return home, they come to know that the paper of that exam got leaked. The paper leak not only shatters the dream of students but their family members as well," he said.

However, the launch was not without tension. Earlier, villagers of Nemra blocked the road leading to the ancestral house of Shibu Soren, carrying traditional weapons such as bows and arrows, axes and sticks. They said they had received information that some supporters of Mr. Mahto planned to burn an effigy of Chief Minister Hemant Soren in the village. The villagers said they would not allow such an act.

"How can anyone burn the effigy of Hemant Soren ji in Nemra? He is our Chief Minister, and nobody can dare to do this. If they burn it, the consequence would be horrifying," said Srikhant Soren, a local resident. Women from the village also gathered with traditional weapons and sat on the road, placing stones to block vehicles.

Police personnel from the Barlanga and Gola police stations were deployed at the spot. After the launch, Mr. Mahto and his team did not proceed towards Shibu Soren's house as originally planned.

The event underscores the ongoing demands for examination reforms in Jharkhand, where students and aspirants have raised concerns over irregularities in recruitment processes. The yatra is expected to mobilise public support for greater accountability and fairness in the examination system across the state.