Now we too will chase them with sticks: Protesters erupt after Ranchi lathicharge

The request asks for newsroom copy outputs, but no main story text is provided. Without source material, only placeholder lines can reflect the missing input.The August 10 lathicharge against protesting JPSC and JSSC candidates in Ranchi has triggered widespread outrage. (Photo: PTI)The police action against protesting JPSC and JSSC candidates in Ranchi on the night of August 10 left many aspirants injured and sparked widespread anger across Jharkhand. Students allege they were lathi-charged in the dark while peacefully protesting for recruitment-related demands.Videos shared on social media have intensified the debate over the police action. India Today Digital spoke to candidates on hunger strike at Dhurwa Mor in Ranchi to understand how the incident has changed the course of their protest.'THE PROTEST WILL CONTINUE'JPSC candidate Rupesh Kumar Pal, now on the eighth day of his hunger strike, says the police action has only strengthened their resolve."We are not afraid of police batons and water cannons. The hunger strike and protest will continue until our demands are met," he says. Preparing for government jobs since 2020, Rupesh said he has appeared for the 11th, 12th, 13th and now the 14th JPSC examinations, but alleged that every recruitment cycle has been marred by irregularities."I come from a very poor farmer family, with four sisters and two brothers. Fortunately, my elder brother has a government job, which helps support the family; otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to take the exam again," he says. According to him, more students have reached the protest site after the August 10 incident, while the core committee is waiting for fair negotiations with the government.YEARS OF WAITING, NO JOBHabiba, a resident of Kasmar in Bokaro, has also been on a hunger strike. She said she has been caught in delayed recruitment processes since 2017.After clearing the Panchayat Secretary examination, she waited through multiple stages of the recruitment process before her result was withheld because she fell short of the age requirement by a single day.She said her family, already struggling financially due to her father's illness, had pinned its hopes on the job.Habiba has also appeared for the JPSC examination three times and says she will continue the protest until the candidates' demands are accepted.'IF THEY COME FOR VOTES...'Rahul Kumar, another protester, expressed strong anger over the police action and warned that the agitation would spread across Jharkhand."If the government understands the language of the lathi, then our youth will not remain silent. Now there will be a rebellion in every block and every village of Jharkhand."He added, "In the coming days, we will not allow any minister or Chief Minister to hold any programme in any village, district, or block. If they come, our youth will chase them away with sticks. When they come to ask for votes, they will be retaliated in the same manner in which we were beaten.""When we asked for jobs, they chased us away with sticks. Now, if they come to ask for votes, we will chase them away with sticks too," he said.DEMAND FOR TALKS REMAINSThe hunger strike, led by Devendra Nath Mahato along with Rahul Kranti, Rupesh Kumar Pal, Habiba and Savita Kumari, continues in Ranchi.The protesters say their demands go beyond jobs and include a CBI investigation into the alleged recruitment scam. While they remain open to talks, they insist the protest will continue until the government responds.- EndsPublished On: Aug 13, 2026 16:31 IST