In Barharwa of Sahibganj district in Jharkhand, the Shershahbadi community’s protest has entered its sixth consecutive day. The indefinite sit-in, held under the open sky, continues with a large number of participants. However, no public representative or responsible district administration official has yet visited the protest site.
The protesters are demanding the restoration of Shershahbadi caste certificates. The community claims that until 2012, these certificates were regularly issued, but the process was suddenly stopped thereafter. They further point out that in several districts of Bihar and West Bengal, members of the Shershahbadi community are still being issued caste certificates.
Long-standing issue, unresolved dispute
According to the protesters, this is not a new issue. The community has been raising the demand continuously since 2013 before the district administration and the state government. A meeting was also held at the District Collectorate on 14 December 2013, but no permanent solution emerged. Certificates were issued in a limited manner for some time, but the process was later discontinued completely.
Allegations of discrimination
The community alleges that applications are being rejected on the grounds that the term “Shershahbadi” is not recorded in the land records (khatiyan). However, they argue that in neighboring states, caste certificates are being issued under similar circumstances.
Thousands of youth affected
The protesters claim that nearly 200,000 Shershahbadi Muslims reside in Sahibganj district, of which around 9,000 to 10,000 people are still waiting for caste certificates. Due to the absence of these certificates, thousands of students and young people are being deprived of government schemes, reservations, and educational opportunities.
Voices from the protest
Protesters say their struggle has now turned into a fight for identity and rights. Amir Hamza stated that certificates were issued until 2014, but were later stopped and the community is being identified as “Sheikh,” effectively denying their identity. Mahfuz Alam said the movement is no longer just about certificates but about existence and identity. Ziauddin alleged that despite a peaceful protest, neither officials nor public representatives have addressed their concerns. Moqtada Hassan of the Shershahbadi Development Society warned that if a solution is not found soon, the movement may expand further.
As the protest enters its sixth day, the key question remains: will the administration take concrete action soon, or will the movement intensify further in the coming days?
ShershabadiSamaj #CasteCertificate #Barharwa #Sahibganj #JharkhandNews #Jharkhand #SocialJustice #IdentityRights #Protest #Dharna #AdministrativeNegligence #EducationRights #StudentIssues #GovernmentScheme #InsaafTimes #BreakingNews #IndiaNews #MinorityRights #DalitAdivasiRights #OBCRights
