‘Many Jantar Mantars’ Around Jantar Mantar: Walls Tell the Story | Ground Report
Around Jantar Mantar, the Walls Speak: A Ground Report from Delhi’s Protest Hub
In Delhi, slogans painted on walls are usually associated with university campuses. But if you take Janpath Road and turn onto Tolstoy Marg towards Jantar Mantar, you’ll find walls that seem to speak for themselves.
Hands distributing food packets, volunteers carrying first-aid kits, people sweeping litter from the streets, and others using plastic and jute hand fans to help thousands of exhausted protesters cope with the heatтАФthese scenes are part of one of the largest protest movements witnessed in the national capital in recent years.
These are the images emerging from the protest site of the Cockroach Janata Party, which has been staging a demonstration against the NEET paper leak. This is the current atmosphere at Jantar MantarтАФthe very place where students have been protesting continuously for nearly a month.
Student Cleans Up Trash at Protest Site
Over the past month at Jantar Mantar, activist Sonam Wangchuk observed a 21-day hunger strike on the protest stage before being shifted to a hospital due to health concerns. He later ended his fast on the 27th day in the presence of two Union ministers.
Even after Wangchuk was hospitalized, the movement did not lose momentum. Prominent political leaders, public figures, and supporters have continued to visit the protest site, while students and volunteers have kept the demonstrations going, ensuring that the campaign remains active.
Crowds Gather Before CJP Stage as Tricolour Flies High
A massive crowd gathers in front of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) stage, with the Indian tricolour fluttering overhead. This is the same stage where prominent political leaders and public figures have been addressing protesters throughout the movement.
An Entire Neighbourhood Turned Into a Protest Site
Over the past few weeks, the area surrounding Jantar Mantar has transformed into what many describe as “many Jantar Mantars.” Across several kilometres, every street corner, wall, and intersection has become an extension of the protest.
Different groups of students are contributing to the movement in their own ways. Some energise the crowds with powerful slogans, while others stage street plays that challenge the authorities. Some sing songs of resistance to boost morale, while others turn walls into canvases, painting their demands and frustrations through art.
Amid all this, there are also individuals standing aloneтАФwith nothing more than a handwritten poster and unwavering determinationтАФraising difficult questions about the system and demanding accountability.