On a day the country celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement, schoolchildren and teachers of Jharia hit the streets and pledged to make the town free from the clutches of corrupt coal officials and bureaucrats.

The students blamed babus for the spread of underground fire and the shifting of people.

The rally, which started from Subhas Chandra Chowk at 9.45 am, passed through different parts of the town before ending at the children's park on Dharamsala Road. Schools which took part in the rally were Godavari Vidya Niketan, Kids Garden, Yashomati Sri Vidya Niketan; Balika Vidya Mandir, Marwari Vidyalaya and Lakshmi Devi Sarawati Vidya Mandir. The rally was led by Rajkumar Agarwal of Koylanchal Nagrik Manch.

Palak Agarwal, a Class-IX student of Yashomati Sri Vidya Niketan said, "We took part in the rally because the issue is important and it's associated with our existence."

Ranju Sinha, a teacher of Godavari Vidya Niketan said, "Residents of Jharia are tensed because of shifting of people due to underground coal fires. Besides, there are plans to shift RSP College to a new place. Raj (Plus 2) High School has already been shifted to Bastacola, around 3km away".

Rajkumar Agarwal blamed corrupt officials for allowing the underground fire to spread to different areas because of sand stowing. He said he would ask the administration to conduct a probe.

During the day, a signature campaign was organised by the Federation of Dhanbad Zila Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Purana Bazar to protest the shifting of RSP College and shutting down of the Dhanbad-Chandrapura Railway line.

Another organisation, Jharia Coalfield Bachao Samiti, is planning to stage a dharna in New Delhi next month against unplanned shifting of people from Jharia.