Moment of victory at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar: Jubilation, tears, National Anthem

Protesters and sympathisers, wary of rumour and fake news, tried to make calls to people who they believed might be able to verify what they had just heard.

Within minutes, overjoyed crowds started to pour out of Jantar Mantar on the Janpath side near the Metro’s Gate No. 2, cheering, shouting, pumping their fists, waving their hands in the air. The other exit, towards Sansad Marg, had been sealed off.

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A group of three women were standing opposite Janpath Market near Sagar Ratna – one of them said she was an entrepreneur, the second a lawyer, and the third, a graduate from Lady Shri Ram College.

The woman who gave her name as Neha was thrilled that the Minister had resigned on the very day she had come to the protest for the first time. “They (the protesters) have really done something which nobody has done before,” she said.

“You must take some credit yourself. You are the lucky charm; you came to the protest, and the Minister resigned,” Manisha, giggling, pulled her friend’s leg.

Neha continued, “I spoke to so many people who have come here from so many places. It’s crazy, the diversity here.”

Naureen joined in: “I came with my friends yesterday, but I felt like I was among so many other friends here!”

“So many things are happening here,” Naureen said. “People are coming for the hunger strike, or with demands to reform the education system; but they are expressing other grievances as well. I have met people from Manipur and from Kashmir here. They were not sure if anything would come out of the protests, but they were hopeful too,” she said.

But now that the first victory was won, what happens?

“I feel the contours of the protest have extended beyond Dharmendra Pradhan to the whole of the government and its leadership,” Manisha said.

Risha, a 26-year-old woman who lives in Faridabad, was overcome with emotion. “The government was forced to listen to the youth; they had no other option,” she said, fighting back tears of joy.

Many in the area had harsh words for Pradhan. They pointed to the fact that it had taken a mass protest of this scale to force him to leave his position. The fight for accountability would continue, they said.

An 18-year-old student who gave his name as Aman said, “This protest is the beginning. Other corrupt Ministers must be forced to resign as well to enforce accountability.”

A parent from Dehradun said they had come to support their child and other protesters at Jantar Mantar. “The resignation of Pradhan was necessary for students to get back to studying,” the parents said.

All around, people were dancing in the streets, slogans – from Jai Bhim to Bharat Mata ki Jai – were being raised. A large group of protesters stood absolutely still as the National Anthem was sung.

 

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Many in the area had harsh words for Pradhan. They pointed to the fact that it had taken a mass protest of this scale to force him to leave his position. The fight for accountability would continue, they said.

An 18-year-old student who gave his name as Aman said, “This protest is the beginning. Other corrupt Ministers must be forced to resign as well to enforce accountability.”

A parent from Dehradun said they had come to support their child and other protesters at Jantar Mantar. “The resignation of Pradhan was necessary for students to get back to studying,” the parents said.

All around, people were dancing in the streets, slogans – from Jai Bhim to Bharat Mata ki Jai – were being raised. A large group of protesters stood absolutely still as the National Anthem was sung.