NEW DELHI: A day after teargas stung eyes and a police crackdown dispersed protestors, Jantar Mantar on Tuesday was reclaimed by the CJP demonstrators. The buzz was louder and fuller and showed no signs of exhaustion.
The site dismantled last evening was reclaimed by thousands with no signs of retreat. While the turnout was lower than the massive gathering on July 20, it was significantly larger than the crowds seen earlier. Placards were seen doing the talking—part meme, part provocation.
Gen Z’s mix of pop culture jabs and sharp political satire, turning dissent into a language of irony. One adapted a well-known dialogue from Rohit Shetty’s “Golmaal 3” that read, “Jaldi resignation doh, subah Panvel jana hai (Resign quickly, got to leave for Panvel tomorrow),” while another borrowed the movie title “Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar” to caption a caricatures.
Anonymous Zomato orders kept arriving at the site; langars ran since morning—chhole kulche and makhni daal-naan. Residents showed up with suitcases packed with juices, glucose biscuits and namkeen.
A 57-year-old Prabal Kumar, who had reached Jantar Mantar from Malviya Nagar with his full-size suitcase, said, “It took me a lot of time to get through the security. The officials checked the suitcase thoroughly and were amazed to find juice tetra packs inside. This is all that I could do for these youngsters.”
Chai, samosas and buns also circulated. Strangers fanned each other with dupattas and T-shirts. Even after the crackdown, the protest held its ground, powered as much by solidarity as by anger.One of the students, Shreya Gulati, said, “We could have opted between stampede and lathicharge. We opted for lathi charge, and ironically, it had made us stronger. Listen to the voices today; they are louder with a roar.”
There were girls from Lady Shri Ram College who had distributed 25 helmets to the supporters in case another lathicharge occurred. These students had even brought along medical aid. Harshit, who received a helmet and wore it throughout the protest, said, “I am a pharmacy student in Madhya Pradesh and have been sleeping on the footpath for the last two days; I was even hit by a lathi once yesterday, and today I feel thankful that people here are thoughtful.”
There were more school students who could be seen with placards screaming slogans with the supporters. One of the class 11 students, Aaradhya, said, “I am here for a cause. In another year, I will be part of the same examination process which the students who have committed suicide went through. Nothing can be scarier than this thought. Hoping at least a little change in the education system will help us.”
The entire stretch from the outer CP circle till the Sansad Marg was all blocked while thousands continue to march towards Jantar Mantar. The protest site alone was heavily barricaded with RAF personnel sitting with their teargas gas boxes at the entry, and repeated announcements were made that the protestors should not step out and remain within the boundary.
However, the mob moved out on the roads by 5 pm, blocking the traffic. The approach roads to Sansad Marg remained shut for the second day, but the inner roads still witnessed a massive crowd. The protests continued on social media as well with people across the country joining in.