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Journalism of Courage
‘Will keep coming back’: CJP protester returns to Jantar Mantar from hospital
The Jantar Mantar protest stage was dismantled on Monday, but CJP protesters continue to gather there.
Vikas returned to Jantar Mantar after being discharged from hospital. The protest stage was broken on Monday. Express photo by Sakshi Chand, Amit Mehra
Hours after being injured during the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) march to Parliament, 21-year-old Vikas stood near the protest site in Jantar Mantar. He was wearing a white medical gown resembling a PPE kit used during the Covid-19 pandemic, blue shoe covers, but no slippers. He was in hospital after being injured in police action. As soon as he was discharged, he returned straight to the protest site.
The Jantar Mantar protest stage, where CJP supporters have been demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation for weeks, was dismantled on Monday. But protesters like Vikas continue to gather there. A resident of Haryana, Vikas said he had been coming to the protest for the past three days. “I will keep coming back,” he said. A second-year student of a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Vikas urged others to join the protest.
Speaking about the police action on Monday, he said, “What upset me the most was that the police lathi-charged people who were protesting peacefully. Even those who were calm were beaten up.”
A few metres away stood Gunjan, who had travelled from Mathura after watching visuals of the violence on television and on her phone. She reached the protest site around 12.30 am. “When I saw what had happened, I called my relatives and told them I was coming,” she said. She said she felt compelled to join the protest because its demands resonate with concerns about her daughter’s future, particularly the state of the education system.
“I have come because this is about our children’s future. What happened today has only strengthened my resolve,” she said.
A small group of protesters raised slogans at Jantar Mantar through the night. Sakshi Chand
The mood at Jantar Mantar
The determination of Vikas and Gunjan reflected that of dozens of protesters who stayed back through the night despite heavy rain. The tents had been damaged and the electricity disrupted, but a small group gathered near the stage, raising slogans through the night. By around 1.30 am, Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, left the site, telling those present he was going to meet students who had been injured earlier in the day.
Around 3 am, the rain intensified, forcing many protesters to scramble for whatever shelter remained. Some wrapped themselves in plastic sheets or raincoats, while others huddled beneath damaged tent structures. Until nearly 4 am, a small but vocal crowd remained assembled near the stage. As the chants grew quieter, police personnel and security officials also lowered their guard, sitting on chairs and taking turns to monitor the situation. As the showers eased, many returned to the open area in front of the stage, where the slogans resumed.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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