Party Leaders Accuse Government of Suppressing Youth Voices
Key Points:
- AJSU Chhatra Morcha holds protest at Sakchi’s Subhash Maidan
- Activists burn effigy of Jharkhand government over policy issues
- Leaders warn of wider agitation if youth concerns are ignored
JAMSHEDPUR – Activists of the AJSU Chhatra Morcha, East Singhbhum, staged a protest at Subhash Maidan in Sakchi on Wednesday evening against the policies of the Jharkhand government. Workers burned an effigy of the state government during the demonstration and raised slogans against it over several issues.
A large number of AJSU party workers, students and young people took part in the protest. Police personnel were deployed at the site during the effigy-burning programme, and a brief scuffle broke out between police and activists as the effigy was set alight. Activists eventually went ahead with the burning to register their protest, in a manner similar to a recent effigy-burning demonstration held elsewhere in the city.
Addressing the gathering, AJSU party’s principal general secretary Ramchandra Sahis accused the state government of suppressing the voices of students and young people. He said students and youths have been continuously raising concerns over employment, education and other public issues, but alleged that the government has instead tried to curb the agitation rather than respond to these questions. He said raising questions and protesting remain a citizen’s right in a democratic system.
AJSU district president Kanhaiya Singh also criticised the state government’s functioning, saying the problems faced by young people were being ignored. He said students and youths are fighting for their rights and that any attempt to suppress their voice would be met with a democratic response, echoing similar demands raised during the recent recruitment reform yatra that drew student support in other districts.
Party leaders described the effigy-burning as a symbolic protest against the government’s policies. They warned that the agitation would be expanded further if the government fails to seriously address issues concerning youths, students and the general public. The demonstration comes amid a wider spell of political activity in the state, with the Congress party also holding statewide protests over the MMDR bill and a separate sit-in protest planned in Ranchi next week.
Several district, block and youth-wing office-bearers of the AJSU party and its student wing, along with a large number of workers, were present at the Jamshedpur demonstration.
