Not A Protest, It's A Revolution: Students Swarm Jantar Mantar

“It's not a protest, it's a revolution,” say students gathered at Jantar Mantar while asking others to join in and be part of the movement. The students, under the banner of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) are demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and reforms in the examination system to prevent paper leaks along with accountability in the system. 

The number of students at the protest site is increasing with each day. The gathering has swelled after the brutal beating of students on Monday night. Apart from Delhi and NCR regions, many students have come from far flung places across India. Some have sneaked out of the comforts of their homes in different cities, booked a one way ticket to Delhi without telling parents, to reach the protest site. Here no one knows anyone but no one feels alien either. They have made new friends and in the last three days now everyone knows everyone.

School students have also joined them with many saying they have been told by teachers to stand in solidarity with the protestors “because this is for our future.” At Jantar Mantar several parents were seen accompanying their children. Standing in solidarity with the students, parents said they were there to protect their children fearing lathi charge and mob violence.

Simpy Yadav from Nagpur came alone on Tuesday. She saw Monday’s police action on students on TV, quietly sneaked out of her house and took the first train to Delhi. She later called up her parents to inform that she is going to Delhi to support the students. “I had a saving of Rs 2000 from my pocket money which I used to reach here. I called up my parents from train and told them. They were angry about my decision but I could not sit at home and watch students being brutalized in Delhi. It is a collective fight,” said Simpy. She is not alone now. She found many like her on the train. Now she is a part of a group that has students from Mahoba, Mirzapur, Kanpur, Ambala, Bilaspur etc. Sitting on a pavement at the protest site they share their concerns and anxiety of a bleak future collectively.

Pradeep Kumar from Kanpur is an M.Tech from Prayagraj working in Delhi. He works in night shift and attends protest during the day. He said his career got jeopardized due to regular paper leaks in Uttar Pradesh and he had to join a private job in Delhi below his potential. “My parents took loan of 40 lakh to make me engineer because government seats were not available. There were paper leaks too. I am victim of this corrupt system which is why I am here to stand in solidarity,” said Pardeep.

Despite high number of girls at the protest site there are no complaints of misbehavior. Girls say they feel safe and the boys at the site are taking care of them. From food packets to carpets, pillows, blankets to t-shirts, and even sanitary napkin – everything is being delivered at the protest site by people across the world. Several are anonymous senders as well.

Students are efficiently doing crowd control, cleaning up the space, offering food and water to the pouring crowd. At times some get into arguments with police but in the last three days both have adjusted to each other as they are also serving food packets and water to the cops. Many police personnel said they support students and want the issue to be resolved peacefully. “But we have to follow the orders. We are just doing our duty. We all have children,” said a lady police personnel while another male cop said his two sons are participating in the protest and he is on duty to maintain law and order.

Despite the tension in the air, creativity in slogans and memes with fun is visible. In the centre of the road on Jantar Mantar protest site a group was sitting making posters. “Kalam zaroori hai, Kamal nahi,” (Pen is needed not lotus – BJP’s symbol), “Batons won’t win arguments,”

While the internet in the entire central Delhi, particularly the protest area has been shut down, a few WiFi companies have installed their systems to help the protestors.

In the crowd one protestor had brought his Golden Retriever do with a poster pasted on his harness that said, “India’s students deserve accountability. Dharmendra Pradhan must resign. ” This is Gen Z that efficiently conveys its viewpoint. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is possibly facing his “Mandal” moment.