The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) call for a march from Jantar Mantar, the site where protesters had camped for a month, saw an overwhelming turnout, with thousands showing up on Monday. But the march soon hit roadblocks, as security forces used lathi charges and tear gas to scatter the crowd making its way toward Parliament.
Aparna Sen shows solidarity with protesting students
Veteran filmmaker Aparna Sen has joined the chorus of support for the ongoing student protests, standing in solidarity with the youth demanding change. Taking to Instagram, she shared an emotional note that read, “My name is Aparna Sen. I just want to say that last night I learnt from our students the meaning of democratic dissent. I learnt from them how to believe in the constitution and work according to it. I had become like many of us, so de-moralised, so depressed, so de-spirited, thinking what is the use of protesting against anything. What is the use of asking for anything that we deem as democratic right…”She added, “These students gave me a glimmer of hope. They showed me it can be done. They believed in the democratic way, they protested peacefully, non violently, totally in accordance with the constitution and believed that they would be heard. This was so moving that I… all of last night, I just wept. I thought to myself how brave, how resilient, how courageous these children are! What a lesson we can learn from them. All I could think was blessing them with all my heart and saying ‘shabaash (bravo)!’ We can learn from you, thank you!In the caption, she mentioned, “20th July was an unforgettable night! Our children showed us the way when we had become blasé. Today I feel outraged at the way those unarmed kids were beaten up! How dare they! How dare they hurt the future of our nation? Some of those kids will be our future leaders, doctors, scientists, educators and artists! And we beat them up instead of nurturing them! This is unacceptable! The nation must stand in solidarity with them. It is now or never.”
Delhi Police , protesters offer conflicting accounts
Delhi officials say that protesters at Monday’s Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration in New Delhi turned violent and refused to leave even after police repeatedly asked them to, breaking the rules that were in place. Protesters tell a different story, they say Delhi Police targeted them without reason, leaving many injured. Several videos on social media show police beating students with sticks and using tear gas. Protesters also claim that people in plain clothes, not wearing police uniforms, attacked them too.
Protests linked to NEET exam leak allegations
The CJP-led protests have now stretched past two weeks, driven by claims that things have gone wrong in the education system, chiefly, allegations that NEET exam papers were leaked. Social activist Sonam Wangchuk added his voice to the movement earlier this month, starting a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
