The Jharkhand State Students' Union (JSSU), an umbrella organisation for various student organisations, has called for a 48-hour bandh beginning on Saturday in support of its demand for 100 percent local hiring preference.
On the anniversary of the passing of Jharkhand's tribal icon Birsa Munda, the union has decided to hold a torchlight parade in several districts and block headquarters of the state on Friday evening.
We decided to hold a torchlight parade on this particular anniversary to remind the state administration of our tribal hero Birsa Munda's aspiration for Jharkhand. We cannot support the government's decision to allow outsiders to work in government positions in Jharkhand. So, starting on June 10, we have declared a 48-hour bandh in Jharkhand,'' JSSU head Devendra Mahto said.
In April, the JSSU began a 72-hour agitation over the matter, and on April 19, Jharkhand observed a bandh. Mahto said, they have urged the Jharkhand trade and transportation groups to back the bandh call. The future of Jharkhand students, whose rights are being granted to outsiders, is at stake in this battle, he said. He said that a 60-40 ratio is used to choose who gets to post job openings.
The administration pledged an employment strategy based on the 1932 'khatiyan' (land settlement), but instead, it adopted a pre-2016 employment policy, under which 60% of the seats will be allocated for students from impoverished backgrounds and 40% will be open to everybody.
Making 1932 the domicile policy's cutoff year will make it easier for the ancestors of those who lived in Jharkhand before that year to find employment. On March 3, the state cabinet approved changes to a number of regulations pertaining to tests administered by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
Mahto said, the Jharkhand bandh is a component of the organization's 31-day Maha Jan Andolan, which began on May 10. In order to get their support for our campaign against the 60-40 job scheme, we met with 72 MLAs, including 42 from the ruling parties and 13 MPs. They also voiced opposition. However, Mahto alleged that job postings were still made based on a 60-40 split.
