Jantar Mantar’s Enduring Legacy as a Symbol Of Democracy and Dissent

New Delhi: For decades, Jantar Mantar has stood as a testament to democracy, where people gathered hoping that their voices would reach those in power. From Anna Hazare's hunger strike, to the Nirbhaya protests and the NEET paper leak agitation, the site has witnessed powerful expressions of public dissent.

Ironically, Jantar Mantar -- its towering instruments designed to observe time and the movement of celestial bodies -- became a space to gauge our times and the shifting tides of public sympathies.

Now, with Delhi Police de-notifying it as a designated protest site, the landmark risks losing its relevance as a space for people to make themselves heard.

Over the years, the stretch in the heart of the capital has brought together people from different walks of life, united by grievances ranging from corruption and injustice, to demand accountability, woman safety and social change. For many, Jantar Mantar was a platform to draw the nation's attention to issues that might otherwise have gone unheard.

One of the significant early demonstrations at the site took place in 1993, when 33 organisations assembled for a 'Jail Bharo' protest against the government's economic policies and communalism. The scale of mobilisation was highlighted in Parliament, where an MP said nearly 25,000 people had participated in the demonstration.

Nearly two decades later, Jantar Mantar became the centre of a nationwide anti-corruption movement led by activist Anna Hazare. On April 5, 2011, Hazare began a five-day hunger strike demanding a stronger Jan Lokpal Bill to tackle corruption.

The agitation gained momentum as the government agreed to constitute a joint drafting committee comprising ministers and civil society representatives to prepare the proposed legislation.

Hazare ended his fast on April 9, turning the protest into one of the most prominent mass movements of the period and establishing Jantar Mantar as a focal point for public campaigns demanding political accountability.

In December 2012, the site and its surroundings became an important location for demonstrations following the brutal gangrape of a woman in a moving bus in the capital. The woman, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, died of her injuries, triggering widespread outrage across the country.

Thousands of protesters, particularly young people, took to the streets demanding justice for the victim and stronger laws to protect women.

In 2014, protests also followed the death of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh who was allegedly assaulted in southeast Delhi. The incident sparked anger over racial discrimination and violence against people from the Northeast, with demonstrators demanding justice and measures to prevent such attacks.

Jantar Mantar continued to provide a platform to groups whose concerns struggled to gain sustained attention. In 2017, Tamil Nadu farmers staged a 41-day protest to highlight agrarian distress, seeking relief from mounting debts, drought-related losses and other problems affecting their livelihoods.

The site became the focal point of demonstrations surrounding a high-profile sporting controversy in 2023, when prominent wrestlers, including Olympic medallists, staged a sit-in against then Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The wrestlers accused him of sexually harassing women athletes, demanding arrest and action.

In 2024, students and other protesters gathered over the NEET-UG paper leak row, alleging irregularities in the conduct of the medical entrance examination and demanding accountability.

The issue returned into focus in 2026 in the wake of another NEET-UG paper leak controversy, intensifying public scrutiny of the examination system. This sparked a massive uproar that condensed around the Jantar Mantar before spilling onto capital streets, and culminating in the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Dr Pranav Raj Singh, a Delhi resident, told PTI he was a teenager when the Nirbhaya gangrape case shook the country. "I was traumatised to learn that something so horrendous could happen in the national capital. When the protests began, I knew I had to be a part of them. I had to take a stand, so my friends and I went to Jantar Mantar."

For Singh, Jantar Mantar symbolises India's tradition of dissent and the right of citizens to hold accountable the people they elect to power.

Rani Sharma, who participated in the Anna Hazare movement, said de-notification of Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue amounted to a curtailment of space of dissent. She said its proximity to the seat of power made it an ideal place for citizens to raise their voices and hold the government accountable.

"The proximity of Jantar Mantar to the highest offices of the government makes it an appropriate venue to raise one's voice and be heard. Its de-notification is a crackdown on dissenting voices," she said.

Beyond large-scale agitations, Jantar Mantar has, time and again, witnessed lone protesters travelling from distant corners of the country in the hope that their voices would reach those entrusted with the responsibility of addressing their grievances. Its significance lay not merely in the size of crowds it drew, but in its proximity to the institutions they sought to hold accountable.