‘This is the right way’: Rahul welcomes end of Jharkhand students’ hunger strike

Rahul welcomes Jharkhand protest resolution

NEW DELHI: Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday welcomed the consensus reached between Jharkhand students and the Hemant Soren led-state government, following which the students ended their hunger strike.Rahul said chief minister Hemant Soren and the Jharkhand government had chosen dialogue to resolve the issue, while the students had exercised restraint and made their concerns heard.“A consensus has been reached between the students of Jharkhand and the state government, and the students have ended their hunger strike – it was heartening to hear this news. Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji and the Jharkhand government chose the path of dialogue and arrived at a solution. The students exercised restraint and made their point heard,” Rahul said in a post on X.“This is the right way – when students raise questions, they should get answers,” he added.He said he stood with every student in the country and called for changes to the existing system to ensure students received the full reward for their hard work and had the right to fair competition.“We stand with every student in the country. And we will uproot and transform this recovery system – so that every student gets the full reward of their hard work and the right to fair competition. This system will change across the entire country – now a framework will be established that propels students forward, rather than holding them back,” Rahul added.The development comes a day after student leader Devendra Nath Mahto ended his 16-day hunger strike late Monday night after the Jharkhand government announced the cancellation of the JSSC-CGL examination and all examinations conducted by TDPL, describing the decision as a “huge victory for Jharkhand”.Mahto ended his fast in Ranchi in the presence of state ministers Dipika Pandey Singh and Irfan Ansari. He thanked Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, ministers and others who supported the students’ agitation.Chief Minister Hemant Soren said the decision was taken at a special Cabinet meeting after considering the concerns raised by the protesting students.“Today, we held a special Cabinet meeting to bring this matter to a conclusion. After considering all aspects and finding solutions to the issues, we have decided to cancel all examinations conducted by TDPL, the results published by TDPL, and the selection or participation of any candidates through TDPL. All activities undertaken by TDPL in this regard have also been cancelled,” Soren said.

Rahul Gandhi had earlier urged Soren to personally meet representatives of the protesting students and address their concerns.In a letter dated August 14, Rahul described the agitation as peaceful and the students’ demands as legitimate. He also supported their right to protest and said the Congress stood with students raising concerns over paper leaks and irregularities in the recruitment system.