Those who visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, or turned to Instagram to watch compelling reels of the boisterous gathering, could hardly have escaped the impression that the high-voltage agitation was directed not so much against Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Was the Jantar Mantar protest choreographed? Some people, brought up on a heavy dose of Congress beliefs, maintain that there was a foreign hand behind the uprising. They argue that such a well-organised and seemingly spontaneous movement was beyond the capabilities of Indians. But then who could have been involved? Americans, the Chinese, Pakistanis, or the Russians? Many loyalists blame China because a Ladakhi was among those leading the Cockroaches, but that runs contrary to Beijing’s established approach. Quite a few years ago, both China and Russia refused to engage in regime change through colour revolutions. Moreover, China does not enjoy the kind of influence over young Instagram users that the United States, its social media companies such as Meta and X, or their billionaire owners possess. Although the Chinese may have their differences with Modi, crediting them with the movement reflects a lack of faith in India’s youth and an unwillingness to acknowledge that they have the courage to challenge an ageing Prime Minister determined to hold on to office.
The posters, placards, and countless reels cocking a snook at Modi’s authority were manifestations of the anger directed at the Prime Minister and his unaccountable government. There was no foreign hand behind them. Tactically, many young protesters may have agreed that their immediate focus should be the Education Minister over the alleged examination paper leak, but they appeared to have no confusion about whom they held responsible for the larger crisis facing both them and the country. They cast aside the cloak of fear inherited from their elders and made one simple demand: the Prime Minister should resign. Everyone else was secondary.
The demand for the Prime Minister’s resignation was so bold that it bordered on the scandalous. It was expressed in language that was often profane and deeply critical of the Prime Minister. Yet, none of the protesters belonged to the Cockroach Janata Party, the ragtag formation that first called upon young people to assemble at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. It was also apparent that many protesters were not entirely persuaded by the demands of the leadership. However, almost all of them agreed that someone had to be held accountable for the alleged paper leak, and that Dharmendra Pradhan was an appropriate place to begin.
The agitation reopened all the issues that had been troubling the protesters besides the alleged paper leak: farmers’ anguish, the blending of ethanol with petrol, environmental degradation, the sale of national assets to cronies, and, last but not least, the government’s constant resort to communal politics whenever it found itself in a crisis. One slogan that resonated throughout the protest was: “Whenever the PM is in a spot, he unleashes the police against his detractors.”
When the Prime Minister followed the advice of his media handlers and used an Instagram post to reach out to the Gen Z audience, he was savaged online. Although the post attracted millions of viewers, many young users mocked everything from the way he looked into the camera to the reflection of the teleprompter in his glasses and the visible pauses while reading his speech. At the time of writing, the unforgiving Gen Z audience was still ridiculing his Instagram foray, creating and sharing altered versions of his post.
Despite their irreverence and refusal to be cowed by a lathi-wielding police force, the protesters did not lose their composure. This writer spent two days at Jantar Mantar, where the student-led movement, backed by the resilient All India Students’ Association (AISA), left no one in doubt that it was determined not to back down. At around 1.30 p.m., Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel launched what protesters described as a fierce crackdown on the demonstrators. Five—or was it six?—tear gas shells exploded with loud blasts amid the restless crowd. Young volunteers, mindful of this writer’s age, took me to a nearby church for safety and allowed me to leave only after the tear gas fumes had subsided.
A little later, an announcement triggered jubilant celebrations. An office-bearer of the Cockroach Janata Party announced that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned. Much analysis has since followed regarding Pradhan’s resignation and its implications for the Prime Minister and the government. What stood out, however, was that the country’s security establishment was apparently not informed or kept in the loop about the impending resignation. It appeared that instructions were issued to the police and the Rapid Action Force only after the political negotiations had reached an outcome. The security establishment then went into overdrive after the Prime Minister attempted his own intervention through Instagram. His first foray onto the platform was widely mocked by many young users. The post attracted millions of views, although many viewers altered and reshared it in satirical forms.
Bizarrely, the agitation dissipated very quickly. Cities that had only begun to mobilise crowds found themselves overtaken by developments such as Pradhan’s resignation. Those developments, however, did not prevent police action, including the incarceration of protesters from different parts of the country. Was it immaturity, or simply satisfaction that the Cockroaches had succeeded in forcing the government onto its arthritic knees? Be that as it may, the government proved more astute and removed virtually every trace of the protest from Jantar Mantar. Many protesters were arrested even though, according to the organisers, the Government of India had assured Cockroach Party leaders that participants would neither be arrested nor face criminal charges for joining the demonstration. AISA leader Neha Bora, who had earlier fasted for 23 days alongside Sonam Wangchuk, played a key role in securing the release of many arrested protesters from Bihar and other states.
The trickiest challenge was for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He was at the vanguard of the movement against the alleged NEET paper leak, but eventually found himself playing catch-up with the Cockroach Janata Party. In fact, both the media and the government began to accord greater importance to the Cockroaches and their leadership than to Rahul.
He staged a fast near the Prime Minister’s residence, but the Congress failed to satisfactorily answer questions about how Rahul was able to get so close to Narendra Modi’s official residence. No Congress leader appeared to have a clear explanation for why Rahul decided to march towards what was formerly known as 7 Race Course Road.
Rumours suggest a rift between Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. There has also been speculation that Rahul was briefed by the Intelligence Bureau on the violence at Jantar Mantar. If that were true, would it spell more trouble for Home Minister Amit Shah, who has yet to adequately answer the question that has intensified the confrontation with the young protesters: who ordered the use of pellet guns against the protesters? As former Home Minister P. Chidambaram has pointed out, the standard operating procedure in Jammu and Kashmir differs from that followed in the rest of the country. Rahul Gandhi later addressed a press conference in which he claimed that the pellet gun that injured three protesters had been fired on the orders of the Home Minister.
As protesters converge once again at Jantar Mantar, the politics of tomorrow may well hinge on how the questions surrounding the use of pellet guns and the incarceration of protesters are answered.
(Cover Image: CJP Protest at Jantar Mantar/HardNews)
BJPCockroach Janata PartyDelhi PoliceDharmendra PradhanEducationEducation MinisterGen Z protestIndiaIndian National CongressJantar MantarLathi ChargeNarendra ModiNEETPaper LeaksPoliticsProtestrahul gandhiRapid Action ForceSonam Wangchuktear gas