New Delhi: Protest sites may be physically demanding places to be, but they are uniquely inspiring spectacles of democracy in action. The ongoing protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi, organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), is no exception. Whatever individual views there may be about the movement, its future and its impact, there is no denying that it has appealed to people of all ages who simply wish to see a better India. 

‘I resigned so I could be here’

Pinky, a Gen Z basketball coach, who until very recently was teaching basketball to girls in government schools, says:

“Tomorrow I don’t want to regret the fact that a krantikari (revolutionary) struggle happened in the heart of the city and I, being a resident of Delhi, didn’t even come here. I tried to take leave from my office so I could join the protest, but they refused. So I resigned. The fact of the matter is, if our education system remains strong, then I can study further and get other good jobs. And if this government changes, maybe even my children will get jobs one day. I’m protesting so that by the time I have children and they grow up, things in this country will have improved.”

“Tomorrow I don’t want to regret the fact that a krantikari (revolutionary) struggle happened in the heart of the city and I, being a resident of Delhi, didn’t even come here. I tried to take leave from my office so I could join the protest, but they refused. So I resigned. The fact of the matter is, if our education system remains strong, then I can study further and get other good jobs. And if this government changes, maybe even my children will get jobs one day. I’m protesting so that by the time I have children and they grow up, things in this country will have improved.”

Protesters hold up banners criticising the Narendra Modi government’s handling of recent lapses in the education system, Photo: Rohit Kumar.

I ask Pinky what the crowd here is like, she replies: 

“The people here are good people. There’s no worry about theft. Sometimes people come looking for a fight, but we simply avoid them. You’ll notice that everyone throws their trash in the bins, and if someone forgets to, someone else quietly picks it up and does the needful. If you want to learn about humanity and decency, come to this protest just once. Maybe you aren’t fighting for the same cause that we are, but you’ll at least learn what it means to be a decent human being.”

“The people here are good people. There’s no worry about theft. Sometimes people come looking for a fight, but we simply avoid them. You’ll notice that everyone throws their trash in the bins, and if someone forgets to, someone else quietly picks it up and does the needful. If you want to learn about humanity and decency, come to this protest just once. Maybe you aren’t fighting for the same cause that we are, but you’ll at least learn what it means to be a decent human being.”

She makes it a point to talk about communal harmony, too: 

“Here you’ll see Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and........

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