“How will we ask for compensation? The government should itself think what does a family, which has lost its son, its hope, deserve. People from Rau's came and offered Rs 50 lakh. Feels like they are mocking us and the students.” Biju also hailed the Supreme Court for pulling up the Coaching Federation of India and fining it Rs 1 lakh on Monday. “This a slap on their (coaching centres') faces by the SC. They are still trying to avoid responsibility. I have joined the protests to give a message to all parents: Please don't enrol your students without checking the institute for safety,” said Biju. Shreya's uncle said that she had been in Patel Nagar for just three months but was already confident about cracking the exams. “She was a very happy child. Very confident. I am protesting against all the fees charged by these landlords and institutes. She had to shift to Patel Nagar since the rent was cheaper. I went to our village a few days after meeting her. I told her father in the morning that she was alright, that I met her. The same evening, the accident happened,” he said. Among the protesters was Anandan Krishnan, 29, an aspirant who had come all the way from Thiruvananthapuram. “I lived here (in Rajinder Nagar) in 2015 and I know how everything works here. Now I want to be of help. In my city, we have an association which helps students deal with brokers and fraud institutes.” he said. Sohum Kumar, an economics teacher, said, “They (the students) come here to study. But there is a lot of loot here in the name of education. One month brokerage, expensive libraries.” In the evening, the students also organised a nukkad natak, mocking the landlords, brokers, library owners, and coaching institutes. “The government has made a lot of promises. Everything is long-term: This bill, that law. We want some action today, now,” said one of the students.
