Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 19
Jharkhand bandh call given by the Jharkhand Students Union to oppose changes in the employment policy was near total in different parts of the state.
All educational institutions were closed by the management as precautionary measure.
There was no movement of the public transport on the roads and highways.The Birsa bus stand at Ranchi wore a deserted look with all buses stranded in the depot.There was no movement of buses at Bartand bus depot at Dhanbad and all inter-state bus services to Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar were suspended.
Commercial establishments and shops in Ranchi and Jamshedpur,two big towns of Jharkhand were closed.There was no violence,but police arrested 50 agitators in the state capital.
Jharkhand assembly on November 11 last year had passed a Bill declaring only those whose forefathers were born before 1932 in Jharkhand(then Bihar) would be treated as original residents of Jharkhand(Moolbaasis).For them 100 per cent reservation in class three and four were provided in 12 tribal dominated districts.Later,it was amended to 60 per cent for the original residents and 40 per cent for the outsiders .The Khatiyan(land record) of 1932 was considered as cut off date for consideration as original residents.
Students are now agitating against the government decision to revise the reservation formula and allow 40 per cent of jobs for “outsiders”.
They alleged because of penetration by outsiders,there was encroachment on the culture of the tribals and outsiders occupied all jobs in government and private sector companies also.
Last month,chief minister,Hemant Soren launched JharNIyojan portal to facilitate registration of the employable youths in the private and public sector companies.Government has directed the companies to recruit 75 per cent local youths.
