The left student and youth organisations in Bihar including AISA, AISF, SFI, AIDSO, RYA, AIYF, DYFI and AIYO called for Bihar Bandh on June 8 to protest against the massive rigging in the results of the Inter-Exam in the state. The effect of the Bandh was felt throughout the state. Owing to the Bandh the traffic on the railway traffic and the roads remained affected and in many places the markets remained closed. In several places, there were also clashes with the police and several student and youth leaders were arrested. In JP Golambar in Patna, the police lathi charged the students and also misbehaved with them.
During the bandh, the rail operations were obstructed in Ara, Darbhanga and Samastipur. On the other hand, the road operations were obstructed and markets were shut down for several hours in Begusarai, Lakhisarai, Siwan, Chhapra, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Madhubani, Buxar, Rohtas, Arwal, Jehanabad, Gaya and Sitamarhi.
In Patna, around 11 am, a massive juloos was carried out by students and youth from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk. As soon as the juloos reached JP Golambar, a huge contingent of police under the leadership of town DSP Kailash Prasad attempted to stop them from proceeding further. The situation worsened when male police officers misbehaved with female students and when police station in-charge of Pirbahore and Gandhi Maidan tried to pull student and youth leaders by collars, drag them and abuse them. The students were also lathicharged and water cannons were used against them. The protestors determinedly resisted attempts to arrest them and continued the protest.
Later an 8-member delegation went to the CM secretariat for talks and met the joint secretary Rakesh Kumar. The delegation rejected the administrative pretence of scrutiny and demanded – (i) Free re-evaluation of answer scripts and re-declaration of results; (ii) a high level judicial inquiry of the entire case, (iii) strict action against those found guilty, (iv) dismissal of state education minister and chairperson of the exam committee, along with permanent appointment of an academician as the chairperson, (v) implementation of the common school system) and (iv) dismissal of police officers who misbehaved with the female students and assaulted the student-youth leaders. The Joint secretary assured that the demands will be immediately conveyed to the CM and the orders will be soon issued from the secretariat. The delegation was also assured that necessary actions on the demands will be taken. The student and youth organisations cautioned the government that if the demands were not heeded to, the movement will be intensified in days to come. On 12 June, 8 student-youth activists also began an indefinite fast.
