Tag: jmm

Why Jharkhand election is a headache for Modi-Shah.

Source – indiatoday.in

Jharkhand goes to the polls in five phases between November 30 and December 20 for 81 assembly seats. The BJP faces a stiff challenge to retain Jharkhand in order to wrest the trend of losing states in the past one year.

In November 2018, the BJP boasted of having chief ministers in 16 states. Now, the party is in power in 12. The loss of four states happened on both sides of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled off a spectacular victory for the BJP.

The challenge looks particularly daunting in Jharkhand in view of the assembly election results in Maharashtra and Haryana, and subsequent trouble with allies. The less than expected performance and bitter experience with its allies in Maharashtra and Haryana is believed to be weighing heavily in the minds of BJP leadership headed by Modi-Shah.

In Jharkhand, the BJP has not yet sealed a seat-sharing arrangement with its existing ally — the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU). The LJP, its ally in Bihar, too wanted to join hands with it but has now decided to contest the election on its own.

On the other hand, the Opposition parties – the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the RJD – have inked a seat-sharing formula after returning from the verge of collapse. On paper, the Opposition alliance looks formidable in Jharkhand.

In the run-up to the Jharkhand assembly elections, the BJP has suffered setbacks with leaders, including chief whip Radhakrishna Kishore, switching sides to the AJSU and complicating matters. State elections have emerged as a new headache for the BJP.

STATE ELECTIONS ARE BJP’S NEW WORRY

In state elections, where PM Modi is not a direct factor, the BJP has struggled. Many believed that the triple loss in the Hindi heartland states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was a mere blip or the call of democracy-to change governments in elections. But the recent elections in Maharashtra and Haryana reinforce the critics’ assertion that the BJP is on a sticky ground in states where PM Modi’s personal appeal is not a moving factor.

The BJP barely scraped through in Haryana piggybacking on fledgling Jannayak Janata Party of Dushyant Chautala, who emerged as the kingmaker. The BJP’s claim of providing good governance for five years failed to find enough echo from the people and the party fell short of majority.

In Maharashtra, the BJP leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah got foxed by rather underestimated politician Uddhav Thackeray, who is most-likely to be the next chief minister in the state.

The BJP contested Maharashtra election in alliance with the Shiv Sena, which changed track after election results left BJP short of majority, though the coalition got a clear mandate to form government. Now, the BJP is likely to sit in Opposition and its rivals, the Congress and the NCP, to share power with the Shiv Sena.

MAHARASHTRA-HARAYANA HANGOVER IN JHARKHAND

There is apprehension in the BJP camp that Jharkhand may follow the trend seen in Haryana or Maharashtra. The BJP leadership has been in dilemma whether it should go solo in the election or concede more seats (than it wants) to its ally/ies in Jharkhand.

In 2014, the BJP contested Jharkhand Assembly election in alliance with the All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU). They got 43 of 81 assembly seats defeating the grand-alliance of the Congress, the RJD, the JDU and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Now, the BJP-AJSU alliance is almost over. The BJP has been announcing its nominees without clarifying if it will continue its alliance with the AJSU, which is the oldest ally of the party in the state. The two parties have never contested separately since the formation of Jharkhand in 2000.

The AJSU and the LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan (the party is now led by his son Chirag Paswan), however had expressed willingness to contest Jharkhand election in alliance with the BJP. But the LJP last week announced it will go alone. The AJSU is also apparently forced to chart the same path. Both are constituents of the BJP-led NDA.

It seems the post-election politics of Maharashtra and Haryana is hovering over Jharkhand election, making it difficult for the BJP leadership of Modi-Shah to take a decision about pre-poll alliance.

In Haryana, it went alone and fell short of majority. In Maharashtra, it allied with the Shiv Sena but the Shiv Sena dumped it after election results were announced.

The BJP, therefore, finds itself in a catch-22 situation in Jharkhand. It is not sure about forming alliance but it is not looking confident either to win majority on its own. In 2014 assembly election too, it wasn’t able to cross the half-way mark on its own.

FOR MODI VERSUS FOR BJP?

There is more to worry for the BJP. In its 2014 state election victory, the BJP had polled fewer votes than it secured in the Lok Sabha, when Narendra Modi was seeking his first term as the prime minister. The BJP won 12 of 14 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 polling 40 per cent votes in the state.

In 2014 Jharkhand election, BJP’s vote share was only 31 per cent. With ally AJSU, the total vote share was less than 35 per cent – a dip of over 5 per cent in mere five months.

In 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Modi wave saw the BJP-led coalition garner over 55 per cent votes with the BJP winning 11 seats and the AJSU one. At stake was the second term for PM Modi against a belligerent “chowkidar chor hai” campaign by Rahul Gandhi of the Congress.

In both Haryana and Maharashtra elections, however, the BJP’s vote share dipped significantly compared to its performance in the Lok Sabha election. The BJP, even PM Modi himself, could not convince voters that a vote for state government would be a vote for PM Modi.

Going into the assembly polls in Jaharkhand, the party has set a target of winning 65 of the 81 seats but it fears a repeat of what happened in Maharashtra or Haryana.

Jharkhand Foundation Day: All you need to know.

Source – jagranjosh.com

Jharkhand is also known as ‘The land of forest” or ‘Bushland’. It is situated in eastern India and before establishment is the southern half of Bihar. Presently, Jharkhand state shares its border with Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Chhattisgarh to the west, Odisha to the south and West Bengal to the east.

Jharkhand: Quick Facts

Area: approx. 79,716 sq. km

Population (2011 Census): approx. 32,988,134

Male Population (2011 Census): 16,930,315

Female Population (2011 Census): 16,057,819

Capital: Ranchi

Official Language: Hindi

Other Languages: Angika, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Ho, Kharia, Khortha, Kurmali, Kurukh, Magahi, Maithili, Mundari, Nagpuri, Odia, Santhali etc.

Largest City of Jharkhand: Jamshedpur

Districts: 24

National Highways: 1844 Km

State Highways: 6880 Km

Rank according to Area: 15

Rank according to population: 14

Density (2011 Census): 414 per sq. km.

Jharkhand State Animal: Indian Elephant

Jharkhand State Bird: Koel

Jharkhand Flower: Palash

Jharkhand Tree: Sal

Jharkhand: History

Jharkhand was carved out in 2000 out of the southern portion of Bihar. It is the homeland of the tribal’s who had dreamed of a separate state since long. After independence, people of Jharkhand state received little socioeconomic benefit, particularly tribal peoples. According to legend, in the 13th century, Raja Jai Singh Deo of Odisha had declared himself the ruler of Jharkhand.

The State of Jharkhand comprises forests of Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal Pargana and has different cultural traditions. After independence, due to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s regular agitation impelled the government to establish the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council in 1995 and finally an independent State.

Jharkhand: Geography and Climate

Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand is a source of various rivers including Koel, Damodar, Brahmani, Kharkai, and Subarnarekha. Also, their upper watersheds lie within the Jharkhand. Most of the state is also covered with the forest and supports the populations of tigers and Asian Elephants. The soil of Jharkhand state is made up of rocks and stones and its compositions are divided into Red soil, Sandy soil, Black soil, and Laterite soil.

  • Red soil is found in the Damodar valley, the Rajmahal area, Koderma, Jhumri Telaiya, Barkagaon.
  • Sandy soil is found in the Mandar hills of Jharkhand in Hazaribagh and Dhanbad.
  • Black soil in the Rajmahal area.
  • Laterite soil in the western part of Ranchi, Palamu, parts of Santhal Parganas and Singhbhum.

There are three seasons in Jharkhand namely the cold-weather season, hot-weather season and southwest monsoon.

  • The cold-weather season lasts from November to February.
  • The hot-weather season lasts from March to mid-June.
  • The southwest monsoon lasts from mid-June to October and brings rainfall in almost all the states.

Some more facts regarding Jharkhand State

– Jharkhand state is rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, copper ore, uranium, mica, bauxite, granite, limestone, silver, graphite, magnetite, and dolomite.

– Do you know that Jharkhand is the only state that produces coking coal, uranium, and pyrite?

– According to the data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Jharkhand state has attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflows worth US$ 113 million during April 2000 to December 2018.

– 80% rural population of the Jharkhand state depends upon agriculture for their livelihood.

– The major food crop of the Jharkhand state is rice.

– The most prominent multipurpose power project of Jharkhand is the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC).

– High court is in Ranchi, with a chief justice and several other judges.

– Below high courts; district courts, sub-divisional courts, munsifs’ courts, and village councils are there.

– Jharkhand has more than 500 medical centres. Some large and well-equipped hospitals are located at Jamshedpur, Ranchi, and Dhanbad. Cancer hospital is situated in Jamshedpur. Treatment of tuberculosis, mental illness and leprosy are located near Ranchi.

– The leading causes of death in the state are due to respiration problems, dysentery, and diarrhoea. On the other hand Cholera and malaria also occur.

– The State has several universities including Ranchi University, Birsa Agriculture University, Sido Kanhu Murmu University, Vinoba Bhave University.

– The most recognised dance of Jharkhand is Chhau which is a masked dance basically performed in the southeastern region. Other tribal celebrations include a festival of flowers known as Sarhul, a cattle festival known as Sohrai and a post harvest festival called Mage Parab.

Therefore, on 15 November 2000, the Chota Nagpur region was separated from Bihar to form Jharkhand state i.e. the 28th state of India.

BJP’s ally problem in poll-bound Jharkhand.

Source – indiatoday.in

For the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which lost an opportunity to form a government in Maharashtra because of the difficult attitude of ally Shiv Sena, it may not be an end of story in terms of problems from partners as it was facing a similar situation in poll-bound Jharkhand too.

In Jharkhand, where elections to its 81-member Assembly will be held in five phases from November 30, the BJP will have to fight against one of its oldest alliance partners, the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), which has decided to contest separately on all the seats in the state.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had made the party’s stand clear during the national council meeting last week in New Delhi, where he was re-elected as the JD-U chief for a second consecutive time.

A senior JD-U leader said the party will contest independently in the five-phased Jharkhand Assembly polls and not in alliance with the BJP.

The JD-U has a history of snubbing the BJP.

In 2013, after the then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was projected as the BJP’s Prime Ministerial face, the JD-U opposed the move and walked out of the alliance.

After the debacle in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the JD-U stitched a Grand Alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress in the state for the 2015 Assembly polls.

The Grand Alliance comprising the three parties cornered the BJP in the Assembly polls in the state. However in June 2017, the JD-U walked out of the alliance and again joined the NDA to form a government in the state.

The BJP and the JD-U contested on equal number of seats in the state during the Lok Sabha polls. However, the Nitish Kumar-led party did not join the Cabinet over differences on the respectable representation in the government.

Following the snubbing at the Centre, Nitish Kumar also did not gave more prominence to the BJP in the state in his cabinet expansion.

The JD-U also did not back the Modi government’s ambitious Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament.

On the other hand, the BJP is also facing an uphill task of gaining the trust of other allies in the state.

The BJP had the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) as an alliance partner in the state till 2012. But the JMM also ditched the BJP and joined hands with the Congress in the state.

The Grand Alliance consisting of the JMM-Congress and the RJD have already announced their alliance in the state with Soren as its Chief Ministerial candidate.

The JMM will be contesting on 43 seats while the Congress 31, leaving the rest of the seven seats to the RJD.

The 81-member Jharkhand Assembly is set to go for a five-phased election from November 30 to December 20. The counting of votes will take place on December 23.

Jharkhand polls: Leaders in Delhi to finalise lists.

Source – indiatoday.in

As polling day nears in Jharkhand, all the political parties are engrossed in finalising their candidates for the 81-seat Assembly.

Marathon meetings and hectic discussions are being conducted by the parties.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) have been the heavyweights in the elections here while regional parties like the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and All Jharkhand Students’ Union Party (AJSUP) also have stakes here.

For national parties like the BJP and the Congress, the scene has shifted to Delhi where state leaders are camping to finalise their lists.

A BJP leader said Chief Minister Raghubar Das, state party chief Lakshman Gilua, and other leaders are in Delhi as they were asked to reach the national capital. Before leaving for Delhi, the BJP’s state election committee met on Wednesday under Gilua’s chairmanship and a list of candidates was readied.

Sources in the BJP said the party’s central election committee would be meeting on November 8 where the names of the candidates will be finalised.

Sources also said that Suresh Mahato, chief of BJP ally All Jharkhand Student Union, has also reached Delhi to discuss the seat-sharing arrangement.

Congress state leaders, including state party chief Rameshwar Oraon and senior leaders like Aalamgir and Subodhkant Sahay have also moved to Delhi. Party spokesperson Kishore Shahdeo told IANS that the party’s screening committee had met on Wednesday. But, sources said that candidates could not be finalised as the seat-sharing arrangement with the JMM is yet to be finalised.

Congress sources said that the central election committee is likely to meet this week to finalise their candidates.

As the political parties are readying their lists, most of the aspirants are keeping a watch on the happenings in Delhi.

The Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be conducted in five phases from November 30 to December 20, an exercise spread over 21 days because of the Naxal problem that poses a security challenge.

Counting of votes will be taken up on December 23.

Of the 81 Assembly seats in Jharkhand, nine are reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 28 for the Scheduled Tribes (ST).

Raghubar Das: ‘Mob lynchings not just in Jharkhand should not be made political agenda’.

source – indianexpress.com

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das speaks to Abhishek Angad on incidents of lynching and the upcoming state polls. Excerpts:

During our reportage, we found out that the most vulnerable sections of the society are not getting the benefit of central schemes.

All such schemes have been implemented as per the 2011 Census. I am aware of what you have mentioned. I frequently speak to people and it will be addressed. By 2022, nobody will be left homeless, but this will not happen quickly. It will take time.

You have said the government has focused on roads, electricity and water. At Maspera, Sundarpahari, in Godda, ill people are being carried to hospitals on cots because there is no road. Water scarcity has been the biggest problem of the state capital during summer. You once said you will provide 24×7 electricity, that has not happened.

A government needs at least 10 years to complete its work. I am not saying Ram Rajya has come. At Sundarpahari, the local MLA is from JMM. What did they do? On electricity, I was misquoted. I had said electricity will reach every village….it has reached 30 lakh more houses in the last five years — compared to 39 lakh in the last 14 years…It will take time. Regarding water, we have started conservation. There is no scarcity of water, but it has to be managed well…

The government put thrust on Momentum Jharkhand. What is the total investment that came in?

Work worth Rs 72,000 crore is going on in sectors like power, food processing and textiles. In the coming years, Jharkhand will become a textile hub. Garments are being exported to European countries over the past two years. Now footwear will be manufactured in Jharkhand.

But how much is the business it is generating worth?

You think only if it is big business. My focus is on MSMEs because I have to end poverty and MSMEs are the spine of the economy.

Recently, Jharkhand Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industries put up several hoardings in parts of Ranchi targeted at the state government’s “insensitivity” towards the businesses. They complained they were facing issues in starting businesses and much- touted single window clearance was not implemented.

I have not been monitoring it since last six months, but in every district a nodal officer has been appointed for this purpose. There may be one or two stray incidents and I am not rejecting the claim entirely.

You have created land banks where the government acquired uncultivated and common land to attract investment. Many have criticised this and said the tribals or villagers were not spoken to.

These are people who are anti-development and do not want growth of the poor. When I conduct choupals, I ask people did the government take the land? The answer is in negative. It is the government’s land. So, land mafia and anti-development people are having a stomach ache. People who took away land are now talking about land rights now. Look at the violation of Chotanagpur Tenancy Act and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act by the Soren family.

You have initiated an inquiry against them…

Soren family are residents of Gola. How come they have properties in Dumka, Pakur which are clear violation of SPT Act? They also have properties in Ranchi.

So what is happening in the case…

A showcause notice has been issued to them after we received complaint.

Mob violence has become a nuisance in Jharkhand. Recently, a Christian tribal in Khunti and Tabrez Ansari in Saraikela, who was made to chant Jai Shri Ram, died. In the last three years, 21 deaths happened due to child-lifting rumours and on the suspicion of cow slaughter or beef possession. Also, more than 90 people have died after being suspected of witch-hunting. Why is this happening?

Mob lynchings are not just happening in Jharkhand. Is it not happening in Delhi, Bihar or Congress-ruled states? First of all, this is wrong . Nobody has the right to take law in their hands. As for the 20-21 deaths, the dead were deranged people who were lynched on the suspicion that they were thieves. If you leave one or two incidents, maximum people who died were deranged. I am keeping a tab and have directed police and the administration to handle it effectively, but it should not be made a political agenda.

What about incidents where mob violence is driven by religious polarisation, such as the Tabrez Ansari case.

This should not happen and this is wrong. People should not see Hindus and Muslims in cases of lynching. This is being done by parties indulging in vote bank politics. If a Muslim dies, it becomes an issue…AAP came from Delhi to Saraikela to give Rs 5 lakh (in the Ansari case), how many other lynching victims’ families have they reached out to? They are not pained by the lynching, they have to play vote bank politics. This is wrong.

What directions have been given?

Police are meeting a lot of people in the villages to make them aware. But social media is a problem. Something happens somewhere and people want to spoil the environment

But the witchcraft killings…

This is mostly specific to Gumla, Khunti and Lohardaga areas. People need to be more aware. We have made a law, but the tribals in the villages are still uneducated and uninformed. The society needs to sort this issue and take responsibility. The government makes announcements in various villages against the practices. The civil society should also come forward.

Regarding implementation of MGNREGA, some people told us that getting money for work done takes time. Some people don’t opt for it. Recently, in Chanho block, a person allegedly committed suicide because he incurred debts after he got a well constructed under NREGA and did not receive money. The state’s liability under NREGA’s components is high.

There is corruption at the lower levels and we are trying to make it more transparent. There is corruption at the block level and in times to come we will it make it corruption-free. There has been a lot of improvement. Yes, liability it there, and I have asked to create a special fund for the payments under NREGA because the fund comes from the Centre. So that we don’t have to wait for the central fund and we clear the payments and later adjust it. Why should a poor person wait?

But the PESA Act has not been implemented in the state?

Any development work conducted in the state is done after talking to the Gram Sabha. How can one say it is not being implemented?

During the Pathalgadi agitation, a lot of people were arrested and sedition cases were invoked. The same was done against a few activists who supported Pathalgadi on social media? Recently, Arjun Munda said in an interview that the state government should review this?

Whatever has happened is under the law and I dont want to comment. But yes, no innocent should be implicated. There are different views, but I don’t interfere.

In Jamshedpur and Saraikela, a lot of labourers were laid off during a recent slowdown in automobile sector. What is the status now and has the state government done anything?

Measures were taken by the Central government and things will normalise soon.

Migration has been an issue in Jharkhand?

It is no longer the case. The situation is reversing after we set up various companies. People are getting jobs here.

The Aadhaar-based biometric authentication in PDS led to exclusion of many beneficiaries.

Now everyone has Aadhaar. We have also given directions that ration be given even if there is no biometric authentication.

What is your stand on NRC?

People who are Bangladeshis have to go. We will implement NRC.

What is your understanding of the political climate in Jharkhand after the results in Maharashtra and Haryana where the BJP could not achieve its target?

One cannot compare one state with the other. These states do not have 26 per cent tribals. We will aim high. We will definitely win 65 plus seats in the Assembly polls.

A strong opposition is important for democracy. What would you say about the opposition in Jharkhand?

A critic is very important so that gaps in governance is known. But I am sad that here the opposition is very weak. There is infighting in the Congress. Within JMM, brothers were fighting. In RJD, there was a split. The opposition should work hard, but it is sad that the opposition does not want any Raajhit. They want Swahit. The people have started understanding that and they will be shown the doors.

Opposition looks to build on state poll results in winter session, Jharkhand polls.

Source – livemint.com

NEW DELHI : The performance of Congress – Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, one of the most time tested political alliances, has given hope to opposition parties to build upon the peformance to boost index of opposition unity particularly in upcoming winter session and Jharkhand polls later this year. The development comes on the back of the failure of opposition parties to come together on a broader national pitch during Lok Sabha elections earlier this year.

While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is on course to form government in both the recently polled states of Maharashtra and Haryana, the opposition parties in both the states managed to increase their tally compared to previous election. In Haryana, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar led BJP could not cross half way mark and had to take support from Dushyant Chautala led Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) to make its bid for power.

Opposition parties, particularly Congress, is now hopeful that the result could be used to build consensus upon electoral understandings, political positioning and policy views. Senior opposition leaders say that the immediate impact of this can be seen in upcoming winter session of Parliament and elections in Jharkhand slated for later this year.

“There has always been issue based understanding between all the key opposition parties but Thursday’s result will boost that unity. NCP has always been a strong ally of ours and Maharashtra’s performance showcases that when opposition parties are together then the BJP faces a stiff competiton. We are hopeful that a similarly strong alliance is struck ahead of Jharkhand polls,” a senior Congress leader said requesting anonymity.

In Jharkhand, Congress is in talks with Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left Parties to contest the upcoming state polls. The opposition’s performance in the BJP incumbent state will be crucial as just five months ago, the NDA had won 12 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats.

Opposition parties are also hopeful that the state polls’ performance will boost greater coordination on the floor of Parliament during winter session. Two key issues which a united opposition is likely to take up in the session includes state of economy and situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The issue of Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank could also be taken up by both Congress and NCP in the next session of Parliament.

JMM holds youth rally against Govt policies

Source: dailypioneer.com

In an attempt to intensify its attack on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its “wrong employment policy”, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) held a ‘Yuva Aakrosh Rally’ to demand jobs for local and tribal youths in all district head quarters across the State including the State Capital on Monday.

The party organised the march to catch attention of youths and students before the State Assembly Election which is scheduled in the end of this year. A large numbers of youths participated in the march.

The march led by JMM Executive president and former Chief Minister of the State, Hemant Soren and it started from Ranchi College Football Ground and crossing through Radium Road, Kutchery Chowk and finally ended at Raj Bhawan and culminated in a public meeting

Addressing the crowd at the Raj Bhawan during public meeting, Soren said that the party called ‘Yuva Aakrosh Rally’ against wrong job policies of the State Government, which resulted in employment of outsiders and forced the youths of the State to migrate to earn their living. “The State Government’s job policy is completely against the local and tribal of the State, during the tenure of present State Government the local and tribal of the State has not been given jobs in any of the State Government’s department and all the jobs were sold to outsiders,” he added.

Hitting hard on the government for its wrong job policies the former Chief Minister said that the government is playing with the future of the youths and the students to make a particular section happy. During the last five years the State Government has not been successfully completed a single recruitment through Jharkhand Public Service Commission, he added

Announcing the party’s stand if voted to power in the upcoming State Assembly Elections, Soren said that the party will constitute a special job policy for the local and tribal of the State. “The party will provide 75 per cent reservation to local and tribal to jobs of private companies which are settled in the State. The party will also make provision to give 50 per cent reservation to women in all State Government’s job,” he added.

“The party will start recruitment in mission mode in the first year of its tenure to fill all five lakhs vacant posts in the State Government’s various departments and those who are working as contractual employee of the State Government for a long time will also be regularised,” said Soren.

It has also been announced at the meeting that the local will get priority in tender of up to Rs 25 crore of all State Government’s contract.

Almost all senior leader of the party were present in the march.

Jharkhand varsity ‘defenceless’ in job market

Source: telegraphindia.com

Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University, established in 2016 to provide efficient and trained professionals to meet the demands of police and other security forces, is in the eye of a storm with JMM leader Hemant Soren questioning its efficacy by suggesting that many of its graduates were now working as ATM guards.

While students did not quite endorse Hemant’s views, aired in a tweet, they, however, expressed their displeasure with the university authorities for not organising placements properly and not briefing potential recruiters adequately about the various courses in criminology, forensic sciences and industrial security that they were taught.

On July 22, Hemant tweeted: “Jharkhand Raksha Viswavidyalaya ko @dasraghubar ji ne tamjham ke baad shuru kiya aur aaj pahle batch ke bacche sadak par hain. Bhari fees bharne ke baad inhe majboor kiya gaya Bangalore mein ATM guard ki naukri karne ko. Bataiye kya lakhon, varshon shiksha lene ke baad yahi naukri ke haqdar hai Jharkhand ke yuva? (Raghubar Das started the Jharkhand Raksha (Shakti) University with great fanfare but its first batch of students are on the streets. They pay steep fees and yet are compelled to work as ATM security guards in Bangalore. Tell me, are Jharkhand’s youths only worthy of these jobs after spending lakhs and years on education?”

At the university at Meur’s Road campus, students aired their views on the tweet freely but did not want to be identified.

“Security agencies want to appoint us as guards when we approach them because they do not an idea about the courses we are taught. I hold the university authorities responsible for this as it did nothing to let the agencies know what qualifications we have,” said one who completed a one-year post graduate diploma in industrial security this year.

Another student, who has done an MSc in criminology this year, agreed.

“The university is taking no steps to ensure placements. It should have signed an MoU with various employers in the government and the private sector to ensure placements. Hence, despite getting the best education, students are not getting jobs. We are struggling like any other state university students,” he said.

An assistant professor of the university did not deny the students’ contention, but clarified that a university wasn’t supposed to provide jobs.

“A university can give education. But for jobs, students have to make their own efforts by appearing in various competitive examinations, meeting employers and impressing them with their skills,” he said, adding that Jharkhand Rakshashakti University was imparting quality education in its chosen fields.

“But as far as agencies’ offer of ATM security guards is concerned, it is the fault of the particular agency, not ours,” he added.

Asked to comment specifically on Hemant’s tweet, the assistant professor said: “The first batch of 70 students, whom the JMM leader was apparently referring to in his tweet, was well trained. To the best of my knowledge, 50 per cent have got jobs and those who haven’ are competent enough to get jobs. Students of the university are given 15 grace marks in police recruitment examinations.”

Registrar Manoranjan Kumar Jamuar parried a comment, saying he was in a meeting. But vice chancellor Ajoy Kumar Singh rejected Hemant’s views.

“This year, out of 15 students who appeared for NET in criminology, five qualified. This indicates that our teaching level is good. Also, as many as 10 students got admission in Delhi University,” he added.

Jamuar also claimed that the university’s placement records were better than general universities of Jharkhand, but did not present data to back his claim.

The state government established Jharkhand Raksha shakti University in 2016 to provide trained manpower to meet the demands of police, military and other security forces by providing an opportunity to youths of the state to build careers in these services.

Students are also offered training to tackle contemporary challenges arising out of terrorism, economic offences, cyber crimes, telecommunication offences and the other offences that require expertise in forensic science.

Jharkhand opposition holds meet to plan for state polls

Source: hindustantimes.com

The Opposition parties on Wednesday outlined the contours of pre-poll alliance at the residence of JMM working president Hemant Soren.

The leaders stressed on charting out a mutually agreeable formula ahead of the assembly polls.

It was agreed that the parties will give candidates from the seats they had won respectively in 2014 and there was no qualm on it.

The parties also stressed on earmarking the seats in the name of the respective parties wherefrom they finished second in the last assembly election.

Besides, there was confusion over the rights of the JVM (P) to contest the six assembly seats it had owned in 2014 but the party legislators defected to the BJP after winning.

The above two contentions were kept open for further discussions and debate while the allies have been asked to submit their wish list within seven days in writing. The grand alliance of the opposition is cautious after being humiliated by the BJP.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of Congress, JVM (P), RJD, Marxist Coordination Committee (MCC) and Forward Bloc.

However, the main Left parties – the CPI, CPI (M) and CPI (ML) Liberation did not attend. The decision was taken on Tuesday.

The Left decided to identify the seats the parties want to contest and to negotiate with the grand alliance parties thereafter. Confirming this, CPI state secretary Bhubaneswar Prasad Mehta said the Left parties will meet on July 16 to finalise their list.

Clarifying further, CPI national secretary Atul Anjan said the Left is open for negotiations. We will support any forces that are keen to defeat the BJP, he said. He said that the most Opposition parties do not have ideas on how the BJP is disintegrating the Opposition engineering defection.

JMM working president Hemant Soren, after the meeting, said that the efforts are on to bring all Opposition parties under one umbrella to show BJP the exit door. He said the parties have been directed to identify the seats they are confident of winning and submit it in writing in one week.

On claims of the parties from the sitting seats they had owned in 2014, Hemant said it is a natural claim. For the rest of the seats, decisions would be taken later regarding who will contest where, he said.

On the vexed issue of seats owned by six JVM (P) legislators, who joined the BJP later, he said, “We are serious on that too and working on mutually agreeable solution before staking claims on those seats.”

Land Issues – JMM youth wing leader shot in Bokaro

BOKARO: Four motorbike-borne miscreants shot dead Amit Manjhi, district president of the Jharkhand Chatra Yuva Morcha (JCYM), students wing of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), while he was on his way to residence at Adarsh Cooperative under Sector-XII police station here on Saturday night. Land dispute with local builders is said to be the reason behind his murder.

Police have arrested three accused whom the kin of the deceased have named in the FIR soon after his murder. The incident has sparked off protest among JMM workers, who assembled at the Bokaro General Hospital (BGH) in large numbers and raised anti-slogans against district police demanding arrest of the murderers soon.

JMM leaders, including Basant Soren, youngest son of party chief Shibu Soren, and the state president of JCYM, Dumri MLA Jagarnath Mahto have given a 24-hour ultimatum to the district police officials to solve the case and arrest criminals or else the party workers will launch an agitation.

Based on the complaint lodged by elder brother of the deceased, Karamchand Manjhi, police have arrested Manoj Pandey, Virender Yadav and Pinto Singh alias Druv Kumar Singh from their homes. Pinto is a resident of Sector-VI, Yadav resides in Chas and Pandey is from Sector-XII. “We are interrogating the trio – all involbed in land business – to bring the truth. A few days ago, they have entered in an altercation with Manjhi because he was opposing them from leveling lands at Satanpur,” he said.

According to sources, the incident occurred on Saturday night when Manjhi was riding his motorbike on his way back home. The miscreants opened fire on his running motorbike following which he fell down. Manjhi struggled to escape but criminals again shot him dead. The local police reached the spot after residents informed them about the gun firing and recovered Manjhi’s body lying in a pool of blood around 300 meters from his motorbike near Adarsh Cooperative.

Police also found two country-made pistols along with two used cartridges from the spot. Criminals have shot four bullets on his head, hand and back side. Manjhi, son of a retired Bokaro Steel Ltd employee, was a resident of Bharat Ekta Cooperative. Before the incident, he had food at a makeshift shop with his father Jaleshwar Manjhi and mother in Sector XII/C Shopping Center. Later, he went alone saying that he will reach home soon.

Karamchand said two days ago, Pinto had called him on his phone and told him to stop Manjhi from interfering their business or it will be bad for him. However, a month ago Virender and Manjhi also had a fight over a land issue of which FIR has been lodged with the police station. “These builders were leveling a land which is worship place of tribal and Manjhi has stopped them doing so. This has developed enmity against Manjhi for them,” said Karmchand.

Basant Soren said, “The incident is very unfortunate. Manjhi was a good student leader and helped poors and so he has been targeted by land mafias. “The JMM has taken the incident very seriously and we will not remain quiet until each of the criminals will be sent behind bars,” he said. Bokaro SP Kuldeep Dwivedi said it was a planned murder following a land dispute. Police have arrested three accused and raids are on to nab other absconding person.