Right in front of the barricades set up at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, India, a family is handing out cold lassi and packets of honey. Minu Phogat has been coming here for the past few days with her husband and 18-year-old daughter. She says this is the first time she has participated in any protest. “Our son studies at IIT, but we have come here to support the struggles of these students. Sharing reels on our phones is not enough. We have to step outside our homes,” she said. Minu Phogat’s husband runs a sweet shop in North Delhi. In recent days, he has entrusted the shop to workers so that the whole family can come to Jantar Mantar. Handing me a 200-gram packet of lassi, she said, “You should have a little, it’s very hot.” On July 21, when I arrived at Jantar Mantar, this was the first sight that greeted me, and in many ways, it represented a broader picture of the entire movement.
Ordinary people who have only seen or heard about the protests on news channels and newspapers, and have never witnessed such scenes up close, are now joining together to support each other in this movement. Located just meters from the Parliament building, Jantar Mantar has become the focal point of the biggest challenge Narendra Modi’s government has faced in its third term. At the heart of these events are the Cockroach Janata Party and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who fasted for 26 days.
You have heard and read many times about how the Cockroach Janata Party came into existence. Thousands of people have gathered here now. Their demands are clearly visible on placards and echoed in slogans: “Dharmendra Pradhan, resign.”
But what happened this week has created a disconnect. The primary demand of the protest, the fast related to it, the phase in which the hunger strike ended—all seem somewhat separate from each other. What was said, how the movement gained momentum, and what is currently happening? There appears to be a rift, and at this moment, the protest seems to be searching for a path amidst differing voices. Sonam Wangchuk broke his 26-day fast on Thursday at midnight in the presence of Health Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh. Following this, the government has pledged not to file FIRs against peaceful protesters. The government will discuss the leak of the NEET examination question paper and methods to reform the education system in Parliament.
Let us now discuss the uncertainty about the upcoming direction, alongside the demands that emerged almost a month ago from these protests and the hunger strike. The Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, must resign. Families of students who committed suicide due to the NEET question paper leak should receive compensation of 10 million rupees. Sonam Wangchuk fasted starting June 28 on the Cockroach Janata Party’s platform, supporting these three demands from the CJP. In an interview from that time, when asked what change a single resignation could bring, he said, “It would establish accountability.” After ending his fast, Sonam Wangchuk told me that the CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Rangkar stated: “We wanted him to end his fast. We have clearly stated that the protests will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns.”
