NEET Voices of Dissent Echo Across UK, Spark Diaspora Debate in US

Hyderabad: The demand for accountability over irregularities in India’s education system is drawing support from Indian students and diaspora groups overseas, with coordinated demonstrations held across the United Kingdom and discussions gathering momentum among Indian communities in the United States.

The Students’ Federation of India-United Kingdom (SFI-UK) organised protests in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and London, where Indian students and members of progressive South Asian organisations expressed solidarity with students protesting in India. The demonstrations called for transparency, accountability and equitable access to education while condemning the reported use of force against protesters.

Outside the Indian High Commission in London, demonstrators held placards and raised slogans in support of the student movement. According to organisers, the campaign is set to expand further with protests being organised in Cardiff, Oxford, Nottingham and Liverpool, as well as outside the Consulate of India in Edinburgh on Friday and at Trafalgar Square in London on Sunday.

“Our previous London protest was in front of the High Commission and was attended by nearly a thousand people,” said one of the organisers, who requested anonymity.

The organiser said support for the movement has extended beyond student groups in the UK.

“In terms of reactions in the UK, a lot of progressive organisations have put out statements and expressed solidarity with students in India. Today Jeremy Corbyn has also put a statement on his Twitter condemning the police brutality. There is a massive Indian diaspora in the UK. International students from India are all outraged at how our fellow students are being treated in India and we stand in complete solidarity with all those demanding for fair and accessible right to education,” the organiser said.

Reacting to the developments, Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North, posted on X, “Appalling violence against an unarmed, youth-led civil disobedience movement in India. Peaceful protesters were challenging the broken education system under the Modi government. They were met with tear gas and baton charges. Solidarity with those demanding justice.”

For many Indian students studying overseas, the protests have become an opportunity to voice concerns about the future of education in India.

Sahithi Kalyanam, an independent scholar specialising in the history of South Asian and Hindu art, said living in the UK had reinforced the importance of institutions that function transparently.

“I felt guilty for not doing my part for my country while living away from home. Being in the UK has made me realise how fortunate I am to experience a transparent education system and strong institutions and it made me reflect on the kind of future I want for India, my home country. When I came across the protest on the SFI UK Instagram page, I decided I couldn’t remain silent and chose to attend,” she said.

“For me, the protest was about standing in solidarity with people back home and even from abroad, to call for accountability and better governance. I would want to attend more peaceful protests because I believe that caring for your country doesn’t end when you leave it. I want my sister, my family, and every citizen of India to have access to the same quality of education, opportunities and transparency. I believe every Indian deserves that.”

While solidarity has also been visible in parts of the United States, public mobilisation has been more restrained. An Indian technology professional from Bengaluru, currently working in the US, said conversations across social media reflected widespread concern over the developments in India, but many in the diaspora were weighing the possible immigration implications of participating in protests.

“There were Instagram posts and Reddit discussions where the diaspora was engaging actively, but people were divided on whether this was a good idea considering the current US government's rules on granting visas or green cards,” the professional living in Ohio, said.

The issue has also triggered an active debate on the Reddit community ‘IndiansInTheUS’. Several users expressed concern that participation in political demonstrations could complicate visa or permanent residency applications.

“I totally sympathise with your thoughts. I feel unrest as well seeing all the videos from India. But currently, as far as I have seen in the last year, people who have protested politically who are on visa or Green card have faced so many troubles. I highly feel this will be very risky currently,” one user wrote responding to whether there must be a protest.

Another user argued that peaceful demonstrations conducted with the required local permissions should not pose legal concerns.

“I have been thinking of the same. I was reading up about the rights for people on non-immigrant visas and it seems there’s no harm if the permission has been obtained with local authorities, and no violence or disruption is caused, and no high-conflict issues elsewhere in the world are addressed. There have been protests in London, Manchester, Vancouver etc. Would love to think ahead on this,” the user wrote.

As protests spread to more cities overseas, online discussions continue among Indian communities abroad.