As the police van carrying the young protesters who had been unjustly arrested was about to leave, a young woman named Riya Ahir, without pausing to consider the consequences, stepped in front of the vehicle and stood her ground. Unafraid of the police and undeterred by the rain, she remained there until all the protesters were released. The scene that unfolded in Mumbai two days ago stood as a testament to the determination and courage of India's youth. The protest, which began weeks ago in the national capital demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET examination paper leak and the student suicides linked to it, has now spread to other cities. Solidarity rallies were held in Kozhikode, Kochi and Thrissur.
Philanthropists from Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been ordering hundreds of food parcels online every day for the anonymous protesters gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, the epicentre of the movement. A young man named Abdul Miyan and his friends have been delivering truckloads of food to the protesters for days. Two of those who came to express solidarity with the protesters at Jantar Mantar the other day were police officers who had been in uniform only hours earlier. Mohit, a former sub-inspector in the Delhi Police, and Sher Singh, a constable in the Uttarakhand Police, declared their support for the protesters, saying they no longer wished to serve in a force that resorts to violence and abuse of power against students, the leaders of tomorrow. Some who, until recently, had been active in RSS shakhas wearing the organisation's uniform have now declared that they have renounced their association with the Sangh Parivar and embraced the side of humanity. The youngsters stood firm before the police officer who threatened to frame them in a drug case and ruin their lives, recorded the encounter on video, made it public, and got him suspended. When the Bihar Police used water cannons, the youngsters danced in the rain before them and joked, "Sir, do you have enough stock of tear gas?" Even as they firmly proclaim that they are fighting for the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, their hearts do not tremble, nor do their words falter.
The government is subjecting the students to a level of cruelty devoid of even the slightest trace of humanity. Lathis and pellet guns have been used against them. They unleashed male police officers and thugs without uniforms or name tags against the women protesters. They pressured university authorities into issuing threats of legal action, shut down metro services and suspended internet access. In addition to all this, following the example of the Israeli military, they are allegedly misusing new technology to collect the facial data and personal information of students in order to prepare charge sheets against them. As if that were not enough, cow vigilante groups and other mobs allegedly backed by the government stand ready with warnings that they will teach the protesters a lesson. Those who unleashed violence at Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU in the past continue to enjoy impunity even today.
Just as Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and Gulfisha Fatima, who led the citizenship movement, were later framed and jailed for years, these young protesters too may face retribution tomorrow. But, at this moment, none of this frightens them. The students are telling those in power to their faces not to come here anymore to create divisions in the name of caste and religion, while reminding the government-cheering media that serves as its mouthpiece to do its job and earn its living. It is impossible to predict how long this awakening and unity will last. But this is undoubtedly a moment of correction. Elections may be won with the help of the Election Commission, courts can be kept under control and cases can be subverted, and MPs can be bought with crores, but the youth of India are living proof that none of these is enough to put a price on our dreams.
A generation that was mocked by its 'uncles' for always having its head buried in the internet and Instagram, and for supposedly being oblivious to what was happening around it, is today showing the country the way forward. Carrying the torch lit by the grandmothers of Shaheen Bagh and the farmers at the Shambhu border, they are leading from the front.