Garhwa, August 13: A remarkable protest unfolded in Garhwa district, Jharkhand, where schoolchildren aged 10 to 13 took to the streets on Thursday. The students were demonstrating against the transfer of their principal, resulting in a seven-hour blockade of the Kandi-Bhawanathpur main road. Armed with posters and banners, the children chanted slogans, drawing significant attention to their cause.
Tensions escalated during the protest, leading to incidents of vandalism, stone-pelting, and physical altercations, which left one police officer injured. The unrest began after the principal, Malay Kumar Singh, was transferred on August 12. Upon learning of the transfer, a large number of students gathered outside the school and blocked the road, causing a long queue of vehicles on the Kandi-Bhawanathpur route.
Traffic was disrupted for nearly seven hours, leaving onlookers astonished. Most of the protesters were between 10 and 13 years old, and the movement was dubbed a “Gen Alpha” protest on social media. The children demanded the reversal of the principal’s transfer, citing improvements in school management since his arrival.
The situation worsened when the block chief allegedly struck a child, prompting the students to become more aggressive and surround the police station. Some individuals threw stones, injuring police officer Mohammad Ashfaque Alam. Protesters also attacked the vehicle of block chief Satyendra Pandey, shattering its window.
However, the Kandi Block Development Officer stated that no stones were thrown by the children. Block chief Satyendra Pandey denied hitting any child, claiming that the attack on his vehicle was carried out by local political troublemakers, not the students. He expressed no grievances against the children.
Upon receiving information about the unrest, police officials, including Sub-Inspector Brij Kumar, Garhwa SDPO Dilu Lohara, and BDO Rakesh Sahay, arrived at the scene. They attempted to negotiate with the children and other protesters. After prolonged discussions, a formal letter was issued from the district headquarters reinstating principal Malay Kumar Singh to Kandi. Following this announcement, the children dispersed, and the blockade was lifted.
Leave a Comment