A clutch of student protesters organising ‘Bihar Bandh’ today across the state have blocked roads in Patna and set public properties, tyres on fire.
As per reports, popular private instructor ‘Khan Sir’ went underground after the Bihar Police has registered an FIR against him for inciting violence in the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examinations case. Khan has locked his coaching centre ‘Khan GS Research Centre’, turned off his mobile phone and has disappeared since last 24 hours.
The Bihar Police had on Wednesday arrested 4 students involved in the vandalization of trains in Arrah and Patna while protesting against alleged irregularities in the RRB-NTPC exams. According to the Police, the 4 arrested students further mentioned 12 protesters and names of teachers who allegedly motivated them to create violence.
The Bihar Police then is said to have registered an FIR against 16 student protesters and teachers named Khan Sir, SK Jha Sir, Naveen Sir, Amarnath Sir, Gagan Pratap Sir and Gopal Varma Sir. These teachers operate private coaching centres and prepare students for competitive exams.
Khan had yesterday posted a video for all his students and warned them that no one would support them if they continue to protest against the irregularities in RRB-NTPC exams. In a 7-minute long video, Khan said that the students will be labelled as ‘terrorists’ if they create violence in the society and then no one will support or help them.
He also held Railway Board responsible for the violence and assured the students that the government will definitely fulfil the demands and Prime Minister’s Office has taken cognisance of the matter. “The mistake was committed by RRB and hence it has been sidelined now”, he stated reiterating his request to cease the violence in Bihar.
What has happened?
Thousands of RRB-NTPC aspirants in Bihar initiated the protest on January 24 against the alleged confusing schedules of Railway exams. During the protests, they created a disturbance in the passenger train schedules in Patna, Arrah, Gaya and many other cities of Bihar.
On January 25, ‘student protesters’ set a train on fire in Arrah and pelted stones at the train. The very next day, citing the occasion of 73rd Republic Day, they gathered at the Gaya Railway station and repeated the drill. This time they torched an empty, stationary compartment of Shramjeevi Express and pelted stones at another moving train.
The videos of the episode went viral on social media. The protesters had also sat down on the railway tracks threatening to kill themselves and complained about the RRB exam mess.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also extended his support to the protesters and had said that these students are the ‘hope’ of the country. “I am against the policies of the BJP government and will be with you in favour of truth but violence is not our way. If you can take freedom from non-violent protest then why not your right?”, he had tweeted.
Ongoing recruitment by RRBs -Consitition of High Power Committee #westcentralrailway @AmritMahotsav @BhopalDivision @drmkota @drmjabalpur pic.twitter.com/mOTLHnxdQc
— West Central Railway (@wc_railway) January 26, 2022
Cancellation of Exams by Railways Board–
Following the heavy violent protests by the aspirants, the RRB on January 26 formed a high power committee and decided to suspend the NCPT Level 1 exams. Railways also issued a public notice against the students involved in vandalism and unlawful activities and noted that they might face lifetime debarment.
Ongoing recruitment by RRBs -Consitition of High Power Committee #westcentralrailway @AmritMahotsav @BhopalDivision @drmkota @drmjabalpur pic.twitter.com/mOTLHnxdQc
— West Central Railway (@wc_railway) January 26, 2022
The high power committee has, however, opened a window to listen to the grievances and concerns of the students. In an official notice, the Board has invited suggestions and complaints from the aspirants by February 16 and has assured to resolve the problem.
Who is Khan Sir?
Khan Sir is a private coaching teacher who is quite popular for his instruction videos on YouTube. In the video that he posted on January 18, he had highlighted the irregularities in the RRB exams. Khan alleged that RRB had ruined the lives of around 3,80,000 students.
He added that exams were held in 2019, but no results were declared since then. “We had to protest in 2020, 2021 and finally when results were out in the year 2022, the board failed 3,80,000 students. What kind of drama is this?”, he said.
He had questioned the Railway Recruitment Board saying that the government had assured 20% result but had settled at only 11%. Addressing his 14.5 million viewers he said that ‘farmers in Delhi were heard after they protested for one long year, students must protest at least for a week to raise voice against the RRB’. He specifically mentioned taking the help of the teachers and playing no politics in the matter.
According to the reports, before an FIR was filed against him, Khan had said that he should be arrested if he was wrong and had a ‘role to play in the violence’. The real name of Khan is however not revealed yet. Reports mention that his full name is Faisal Khan but some know him also as Amit Singh who belongs to Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.
Khan had earlier said that the coaching institute in which he teaches had asked him to keep his name a secret.
Former Bihar Chief Minister, Jan Adhikar Party supporting Khan Sir and the protests-
It is pertinent to note that Khan is being supported by the Jan Adhikar Party’s leader Pappu Yadav. He had said in a tweet that the oppression of students and teachers must stop. Yesterday, posting another tweet, he alleged that politics was being played in this case in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
“The investigation committee of rigging in the restoration of railway, NTPC is only an attempt to postpone the issue till the UP elections. Why not investigate within 15 days?”, he asked raising the slogan of ‘Bihar Bandh’ on Janary 28.
फिर धोखा दिया सरकार! इसलिए कल हम करेंगे बिहार बंद!
— Pappu Yadav (@pappuyadavjapl) January 27, 2022
रेलवे NTPC की बहाली में धांधली की जांच कमेटी सिर्फ यूपी चुनाव तक मुद्दे को टालने की कोशिश है। 15 दिन में जांच क्यों नहीं?
वहीं शिक्षकों छात्रों पर फर्जी मुकदमा कर फंसाया जा रहा है।यह BJP सरकार के ताबूत में आखिरी कील साबित होगी।
In support of Khan, Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi also said that the time had come for the government to talk about employment. “The situation can become worse than this. The cases against teachers, including Khan Sir, can further incite violence in the protest”, he tweeted yesterday.
संविधान में हिंसा और तोडफोड़ का अधिकार किसी को नहीं।
— Jitan Ram Manjhi (@jitanrmanjhi) January 27, 2022
वैसे अब वक्त आ गया है जब सरकार रोजगार के विषय में बात करे,नहीं तो हालात इससे भी भयानक उत्पन्न हो सकतें हैं।
RRB-NTPC उपद्रव के नाम पर खान सर सहित शिक्षकों पर किए गए मुकदमें इस अघोषित युवा आंदोलन को और भी ज्यादा भड़का सकता है।
It is further worth noting that the Rashtriya Janata Dal has also asked its leaders to support students’ unions call for Bihar Bandh today over alleged discrepancies in RRB NTPC results.
Bihar | Rashtriya Janata Dal asks its leaders to support students’ unions call for Bihar Bandh on January 28 over alleged discrepancies in RRB NTPC results
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2022
The Railway Job aspirants are to hold protests today across Bihar as Mahagathbandhan parties including RJD and Congress has announced their support for a ‘Bihar Bandh’.
