Its been almost a month since the protest began at Jantar Mantar. After over a dozen student suicides in a month over the NEET paper leak, Abhijeet Dipke, the Founding President of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with a section of parents, students, and activists have been demanding the resignation of the Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Activist Sonam Wangchuk is on the 20th day of his hunger strike. Some students too have been on hunger strike for over two weeks. With no initiation of dialogue from the government, the indefinite sit-in protest continues.
Photo from the protest site. | Kulsoom Faiz
(Sign up for THEdge, The Hindu’s weekly education newsletter.)Rituals set inAs one arrives at Jantar Mantar, near the 18th-century monumental astronomical observatory, they are greeted with the sounds of Daphlis, chimes, and slogans. Raging in anger, seeking justice, filled with an exhilarating rhythm could be heard from afar.
Photo from the protest site. | By Kulsoom Faiz
Upcoming webinar: AI’s Forward Deployed Engineer jobsPlastic sheets, hand-painted placards and rolled-up mattresses have become a ritual at Jantar Mantar. Protestors sing through the crowd with bottles of water and packets of ORS, and check on those on an indefinite hunger strike. Between speeches, students huddle under patches of shade, scrolling through old admit cards, exam notifications and messages from home.
