What doesn’t kill them makes them unbeatable

NEW DELHI: Braving lathis, tear gas and even pellet guns, the youth of India stayed on course with their stir at Jantar Mantar for yet another day, inspiring the otherwise cynical boomers to stream to the protest venue to express support and solidarity, and in many cases, food, water, and a shoulder to rest.

The treatment meted out to the youngsters, who were galvanised by the quintessentially Gen Z phenomenon called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), is widely perceived to be so horrendous that even Sachin Tendulkar and Bollywood A-listers, famously notorious for keeping their heads down when it comes to the matters that could even mildly antagonise the Centre-ruling BJP, have begun murmuring voices of support for the protesting students.

Most of them restricted themselves to social media, but some celebrities did hit the ground, which is by now teeming with parents, teachers, common people, and also disparate political and social activists.

Refusing to succumb silently, some of the BJP leaders on Thursday raided the SOP cupboard and came out with the textbook allegation that the protest was triggered, orchestrated, and fuelled by the usual suspects: The assorted bunch of “anti-nationals” like the Left, Congress, and other opposition parties, and China among other foreign forces, as part of a conspiracy to stall India's economic growth.

The youth at Jantar Mantar – and elsewhere in the country – refused to be baited by it, and instead responded with the most potent tool in their armour: Sarcasm, satire, and risque and black humour, which were delivered in the form of songs, slogans, placards, and status messages and social media posts.

The merciless beatings they took from Delhi Police on July 20 appeared to have tickled their funny bone.

They were equally un-enamoured by overtures by the Centre, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on action against the NEET paper leak, saying he did not address the most important issue, that of accountability, and reiterated their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Later in the day, Union Minister JP Nadda said the government was ready for further talks with the protesting youths to be held either at his office or residence. CJP leaders rejected the offer, noting that they have already made it clear that any further talks should be held either at the protest venue or a neutral place.

In came the next emissary, Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, who claimed that as many as four offers were made to the student representatives for a dialogue in 24 hours. Improving upon Nadda’s offer, he said the government was ready for talks “whenever you want, at whichever hour of the day and for as long as you wish to”.

However, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das denied receiving any formal invitation, and added that the government should contact them directly to decide the venue, time, and duration of the discussion.

The protesters’ refusal to relent comes in the face of alarming highhandedness by the security forces, who used even the dreaded pellet gun – a charge that officials denied, though at least two youth have marks on their body to prove their allegation.

Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old from Najafgarh allegedly received pellet gun injuries during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. While the Delhi Police is sticking to the denial, Sahil has undergone one surgery to repair the injured eye and remove pellets and is awaiting another.

Reports said he may lose sight in one of the eyes. Sheikh Mansoori, a 25-year-old Gurugram resident, is another victim, who allegedly suffered seven pellet injuries to his face.They were equally un-enamoured by overtures by the Centre, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on action against the NEET paper leak, saying he did not address the most important issue, that of accountability, and reiterated their demand for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Later in the day, Union Minister JP Nadda said the government was ready for further talks with the protesting youths to be held either at his office or residence. CJP leaders rejected the offer, noting that they have already made it clear that any further talks should be held either at the protest venue or a neutral place.

In came the next emissary, Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State in charge of the Prime Minister’s Office, who claimed that as many as four offers were made to the student representatives for a dialogue in 24 hours. Improving upon Nadda’s offer, he said the government was ready for talks “whenever you want, at whichever hour of the day and for as long as you wish to”.

However, CJP chief spokesperson Saurav Das denied receiving any formal invitation, and added that the government should contact them directly to decide the venue, time, and duration of the discussion.

The protesters’ refusal to relent comes in the face of alarming highhandedness by the security forces, who used even the dreaded pellet gun – a charge that officials denied, though at least two youth have marks on their body to prove their allegation.

Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old from Najafgarh allegedly received pellet gun injuries during the ‘Sansad Chalo’ march. While the Delhi Police is sticking to the denial, Sahil has undergone one surgery to repair the injured eye and remove pellets and is awaiting another.

Reports said he may lose sight in one of the eyes. Sheikh Mansoori, a 25-year-old Gurugram resident, is another victim, who allegedly suffered seven pellet injuries to his face.

Inspired and infuriated by the scenes at Jantar Mantar, protests sprung up in all corners of India, with videos and photos from across the country flooding the social media. Tamil Nadu, the first to spring in protest against NEET when it was brought in years ago, however, had a rather mixed day.

There were protests, most of them leading to detentions by the police. But the machinery and a vocal section of the masses gravitated towards a more ‘important’ date to keep: The release of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay-starrer Jana Nayagan.