Protest is a democratic right, but violence is not

Protests, agitations, and sloganeering are part of a democratic set-up in a country like India. I have witnessed them for over seven decades. As a student I participated in the 1969 Telangana agitation, which is remembered as a blood-soaked chapter in the region’s history with 369 students and civilians martyred by brutal police firing. The tragedy is that not a single politician or any member of their family lost their life. I am proud to say that we students neither used abusive language, nor heckled and insulted the Prime Minister or blamed anyone for the tragedy which could have been prevented. But we promised ourselves that we would not resort to violence or use of foul language. Both politicians and parents discouraged such behavior. As students, we stayed focused on our agenda.

Our student leader was Dr. Mallikarjun, a medical student, who became a cabinet minister later and served under many Prime Ministers. Today nobody remembers him. He led the movement until it was taken over by politicians with selfish motives, and it eventually died down. Nearly 40 years later, it was revived and statehood was finally achieved. But nobody thought of the dead or the sacrifices of the then students. Politics is such!

We also took part in the Anna Andolan—candlelight marches and flag marches on the streets of Hyderabad—in support of the movement, which was a peaceful, honest and sincere protest. There were no cheap gestures, no provocative speeches, and no insults directed towards any individual.

Meanwhile, the student unrest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi centres on nationwide demonstrations led by the youth movement demanding accountability for competitive examination irregularities, paper leaks, and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The core issue started with students worried about NEET leaks, suicides, and exam failures. But once the protests continued for 20 days, political parties, activists and other groups joined in. That was how it became bigger than the students. It is sad because the original pain is real-kids losing lives, re-exams, families in debt for coaching. When that got mixed with slogans and politics the actual student voices got drowned and the movement was hijacked. It’s heartbreaking to see young people’s future become a political battle ground. Asking and seeking resignation of any sort is a headline not a solution. It is just satisfying your ego, nothing else. Only two per cent of the protesters must have been NEET aspirants. Sacking one person does not fix paper leaks, coaching mafias, NTA loopholes or the pressure on kids.

The problem is systemic. It needed fixing much earlier, not after protests and lathi charges. Parents of the aspirants would not allow their wards to visit Jantar Mantar or any protesting site because a day lost is akin to losing one chapter lost during exam preparation. Secondly, it is the fear of their child being caught in clashes, detention, and politics. They knew that once politicians enter, the student issue becomes a slogan. So, the stage ends up with activists, C- grade Bollywood actors, student unions and leaders struggling to get limelight. The quiet, sincere kids, who are suffering, stay home and cry in silence. That is the tragedy.

Those who passed the NEET re-exam are already in counselling queues, paying fees and looking for accommodation. They can’t afford to sit at Jantar Mantar for ‘N’ for a number of days. Their parents say “Bacche padhai karo, ye sab chhod do”. Those affected by the leak didn’t even know if their rank was real. Those who failed are too ashamed or too broke to protest. So, the ones shouting loudest at protests are often not those appearing for NEET or any other competitive exam. And the ones who are suffering silently are too busy trying to save a crucial academic year. Hence the hollow and empty feeling. Parents won’t allow, sincere students stay away and the system just moves on to the next counselling round.

According to me what would have helped NEET affected students was a separate Fast Grievance Cell in every state. After all, students need mental health support given that that pressure is breaking them. No politics on stage –just students, parents and NTA officials in a room. Resignations give clips to television, but reforms deliver results. If it’s really a student protest about NEET, then let them have their admit cards on them, which attempt is this and from which state and center they are from. The student protesters needed to put an I-card around their necks. Right now, it looked like a crowd with a political agenda.

No one can ascertain who was affected and who was there for politics, camera, or just for the heck of it. The working age group and political workers show up first. The 17- year-olds, who are giving NEET next year are either too small to protest or their parents advised them ‘no risk’. Those who passed are already attending their classes. That is why it peels off. The faces on stage and of the crowd don’t match the faces in coaching classes at 6 am.

Everyone stands with the sufferers, and their heart goes out for the young lives lost for no fault of theirs. This is all about students and not slogans. Without that, the genuine pain gets used and then forgotten. Violence and vulgarity only weaken agitations. People stop believing in you. You lose the respect of your sympathizers and supporters. A protest ground is not a picnic spot, a banquet hall, or a place of vulgar physical display.

It is for a purpose. Mobocracy and lawlessness do not deliver results. Noise and drama don’t bring change. Honest commitment does. We are living in a digital world and in an age of AI. Nothing can be hidden from the eye of a lens.