Why political fury is boiling over on the streets of India’s capital

By Kunal Sehgal, Deepak Rao and Rhea Mogul, CNN

New Delhi (CNN) — For days the streets and parks in the center of India’s capital have seethed with the biggest demonstrations it has seen in years as young protesters demand change to a national exam system they say cheats millions of them out of a fair chance.

Earlier this week, as the mostly Gen-Z protesters tried the bring their demands to the parliament building at the heart of the world’s biggest democracy, they were met with tear gas and police violence, struck with the bamboo sticks officers carry in lieu of batons.

The protesters are refusing to back down, setting up a continued confrontation with Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government, one critics say has overseen a relentless crushing of dissent during its more than a decade in power.

About 150 protesters were taken to hospital with injuries following Monday’s violence, according to leaders of the party behind the protests. Videos showing the police crackdown – widely shared hours after the event thanks to a government-ordered cutting of the internet – have sparked outrage. Delhi police said 118 of its officers were injured during the “violent protests.”

Delhi Police had imposed prohibitory orders ahead of the march and declared it unlawful.

And on Tuesday, the protesters – many showing the wounds suffered at the hands of the police – returned to Jantar Mantar, a 300-year-old observatory surrounded by a large, open park, and rebuilt the makeshift camp that has served as their headquarters. Police had demolished it the day before.

At the camp, defiance bubbled over.

“We will stand here with pride,” said Sudhir Kumar, who was attacked by the police on Monday.

“The main topic here is education,” said Kumar, who said he had spent a year preparing for an admission exam to a prestigious medical school, to later learn the papers had been leaked.

“What we face when you prepare for the whole year and at D-Day you hear it’s rigged,” he told CNN.

Mohammad Taj, who travelled to Delhi from neighboring Haryana state, and whose face was badly bruised in the Monday crackdown, said the march heading to parliament had been peaceful.

“But just in a flash, I don’t know what happened, the police started hitting us with batons. Kids, women, old men, they hit everyone.”

By evening, crowds overflowed outside the site and spilled onto the streets and lanes.

“Whenever Modi is scared, he brings out the police,” they chanted as one, calling for “freedom.”

Widespread anger

Monday’s march on Parliament was one of the biggest demonstrations against the Modi government in years.

It was organized by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that began as a joke but has since grown into a political force articulating the frustrations of millions of young Indians.

Founded by Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke, the CJP sprung on the scene in May when India’s chief justice made comments that many interpreted as referring to the nation’s unemployed youth as “cockroaches.” These remarks were seen by many as insensitive, especially in a country where youth unemployment remains stubbornly high.

The CJP has spearheaded the recent protests over allegations that entrance exam papers for prestigious and highly competitive medical schools had been leaked and sold. Millions had to re-sit the exam.

The exam system has long been mired in controversy, including exam paper leaks and technical failures, placing a crushing burden on students and financial strain on families investing everything in their children

Anger increased over the weekend after a prominent Indian activist, Sonam Wangchuk, who was on a hunger strike in support of the movement, was removed from the protest site and taken to hospital. Protesters tried to intervene, and police could be seen holding sheets to block the view as they lifted Wangchuk away.

Modi, who rarely responds to criticism, has not publicly responded to the protesters’ demands. On Tuesday, he sent a message via the minister of parliamentary affairs, who told reporters that the Indian leader was committed to ensuring no more paper leaks.

The education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, is also yet to publicly comment on Monday’s protests. Speaking to Indian news channel NDTV last month, he referred to the CJP the “B-team of terror groups.”

Rahul Gandhi, the leader of India’s main opposition, was briefly detained on Tuesday after he staged a sit-in outside Modi’s residence, calling for his resignation.

There appears to be a growing determination among the protesters, who say they will continue to sit in until their demands are met.

For some, a change of education minister and an overhaul of the exam system are now not enough. They are demanding that Modi – who has overseen more than ten years of BJP dominance of Indian politics – should go too.

“Police in civilian dress hit me with batons… while I was just standing,” said protester John Talwar.

“This country won’t change until Modi leaves.”

The-CNN-Wire
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