The Jharkhand Police lathi-charged the members of the state Panchayat Secretariat volunteers who were marching to the assembly for their demands on 21st December. Furthermore, water cannons and tear gas shells were used to disperse the protestors. The incident transpired at about 3 pm to 4 pm near Jagannathpur temple in Ranchi. More than thirty individuals associated with the volunteers’ union were injured and at least six persons including a child were critically wounded.
They have been admitted to Ranchi’s Paras HEC Hospital and other institutions for medical treatment. The union declared that in opposition to the oppressive action they are going to hold a show of strength, nude protest and mass self-immolation on the completion of four years of the government on 29th December.
Chandradeep Kumar, state president of the union stated that the members have been protesting in front of the Raj Bhavan for 170 days regarding their five-point demands. In addition, they have been observing a peaceful protest for the last four days by sitting in front of the assembly.
They wanted their services to be placed immediately under the government’s authority as well as granted permanent status. Thousands of volunteers from throughout the state have spent the previous four days demonstrating in front of the assembly. He asserted that they would repeatedly hit the streets to get the administration to listen to their conditions.
The union presented their requests to Minister Alamgir Alam at their meeting with him on 20th December. He gave an assurance that announcements in support of the volunteers for the Panchayat Secretariat will be made very soon. Additionally, around 1 pm on 21st December, a government representative will visit the protest location to issue a statement. However, the administration did not provide any such assurance until 3 pm. Subsequently, the union members resolved to march nonviolently to the assembly.
The agitators hoped that their demands would be acknowledged by the state assembly and representatives of the people. They became upset and began walking towards the assembly while shouting slogans as none of the MLAs came to listen to their woes during this time. When they entered the cordon-off area, the deployed cops unleashed a lathi-charge on them. Police tried to stop them near another barricade, however, they managed to breach the barricade on the other side and started moving forward. The cops employed force which led to shoving and pushing between the two sides and resulted in chaos.
The union had proclaimed earlier that if their requirements were not fulfilled, they would besiege the assembly. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led government, according to the demonstrators made a lot of promises before the elections but merely provided reassurances over time. They wanted to have a meeting with Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
A case has been registered against 400 people, including a dozen named persons, in the Jagannathpur police station on the statement of the police. Sections such as interfering with police operations and impeding government activities have been invoked in the lodged First Information Report.
According to Chandradeep Kumar, everyone was calmly approaching the assembly. They came to a halt close to the barriers placed in front of the Jagannathpur temple. Following this, an argument erupted between the cops and the demonstrators. Meanwhile, the former lathi-charged and swarmed around beating individuals. Tear gas shells were also fired and water cannons were utilized to put water at the protestors. This resulted in the injuries of over thirty persons.
Chandankiyari MLA and the leader of the opposition in the Jharkhand state assembly, Amar Kumar Bouri reached the Paras HEC Hospital and inquired about the condition of the injured. “Those who the government has come to power on their strength are the ones being lathi-charged. The BJP is an inclusive political party and will improve the prospects for volunteers,” he remarked while talking to the media.
He took to X and further charged, “In Jharkhand, there is not ‘democracy’ but ‘brutality.’ Thousands of Panchayat volunteers were protesting peacefully, but the Thugbandha (an alliance of fraudsters) government again displayed its repressive policies by bringing the police forward. This ruthless lathi charge has exposed the hateful thinking of the coalition government towards the youth.”
झारखंड में "लोकतंत्र" नहीं "ठोकतंत्र" है !
— Amar Kumar Bauri (@amarbauri) December 21, 2023
हजारों पंचायत स्वयंसेवकों शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन कर रहे थे, परंतु ठगबंधन सरकार ने पुलिस को पुनः सामने कर अपनी दमनकारी नीतियों को प्रदर्शित किया …
इस निर्मम लाठीचार्ज ने युवाओ के प्रति गठबंधन सरकार की नफरती सोच की पोल खोल दी है। pic.twitter.com/9NDDT5YTjk
Notably, the former administration of the Bharatiya Janata Party appointed almost 18,000 volunteers to the Panchayat Secretariat throughout the state who were previously paid an honorarium for carrying out government programs. However, they were released from their duties upon the establishment of the JMM-Congress coalition government. They are constantly protesting against the decision.
