Telangana: Hyderabad Civil Society Groups Express Solidarity With Sonam Wangchuk, CJP Stir

The meeting, one of four solidarity demonstrations across the city, filled the hall beyond capacity and spilled outside as speakers demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the scrapping of the centralised examination system under the National Testing Agency (NTA) and compensation for families of students who died by suicide following the leak of NEET-UG papers and cancellation of the exam.

“Pradhan should resign and the NTA system should be scrapped,” said Akunuri Murali, ex-chairman of the Telangana Education Commission (TEC) and member of Social Democratic Forum (SDF), “The final demand is resignation of Narendra Modi.” He also demanded compensation of `1 crore for the families of students who died by suicide.

SDF organised the programme on behalf of civil society organisations and youth activists and Murali described the turnout as “the commitment of Hyderabad” and “the energy of Hyderabad”. “This is the India and Hyderabad I want to see. I am so happy and so angry at the same time,” said an advocate who was also at the protest.

Prof. K. Laxminarayana of the School of Economics at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) accused the Centre of failing to respond to demands concerning alleged examination irregularities and student deaths. He described the centralised examination system under the NTA as an “examination mafia”. The protests should continue until that system ends, he said.

“Even when the Rapid Action Force surrounded and beat them, the activists said, ‘Beat us more, but speak about our demands’,” Laxminarayana said, referring to videos and accounts from the incidents Delhi on Monday. “Similar meetings should take place in Hyderabad once or twice every week until the demands are addressed. This is your movement. We are here to support you.”

A first-person account came from Junaid, who had returned from Delhi after witnessing Monday’s events. He alleged that police stopped people from leaving Rajiv Chowk and Janpath Metro Rail stations, abused them, used batons and fired tear gas.

His account became more difficult as he described women and badly injured protesters being assaulted. “Even now, I am trembling because of what I saw with my own eyes,” he said. Junaid added that he intended to return to Delhi and continue participating in the protest.

The discussion also turned to the place of transgender and LGBTQI people in the movement. Trans activist Kali objected to portrayals of their presence at Jantar Mantar as a “distraction” and said the community had come to stand beside the protesters despite risks to its own safety.

“You feel pain now because the police are beating you. Society has beaten us since birth,” Kali said. That experience, Kali added, meant transgender people understood violence and exclusion closely.

The appeal was also directed at those within protest movements who rejected their participation. “When we come to support you, do not push us away. We are coming for you. Even if you tell us not to, we will still come,” Kali said.