CJP protest: From Shillong to Mumbai, solidarity demonstrations held across India

Several demonstrations in support of the Cockroach Janta Party-led campaign and activist Sonam Wangchuk took place in cities and towns across India on Monday, even as protesters in central Delhi faced police action during their planned walk to Parliament.

For several days, thousands of protesters had been demonstrating at the national capital’s Jantar Mantar to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the alleged mismanagement of competitive examinations.

The campaign had planned a march to Parliament on Monday, when the Monsoon Session began. However, while the leaders of the protests were blocked by the police from undertaking the march, some managed to march closer to Parliament and gather in other parts of central Delhi.

Hours after the lathi-charge, the Cockroach Janta Party said that the Union government had agreed to hold talks with the protesters.

Meanwhile, solidarity demonstrations were reported in several parts of the country, including Shillong, Dimapur, Guwahati, Mumbai, Goa and parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Maharashtra

In Mumbai, protesters also gathered at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar in support of the Cockroach Janta Party protest.

The police detained several students at Dadar railway station, Shivaji Park, Mahim and nearby areas to prevent mass gatherings.

Among those detained was Sameer Wagle, who works in venture capital fund and is a part of civil society initiative Mumbai for Peace. He told Scroll that he arrived at Chaityabhoomi after learning that a friend had been detained.

“I didn’t even join the protest,” Wagle told Scroll. “I was just filming the protest and the police detained me with others. There were 40 students in my van. We were taken to Mahim police station. There were about 125 people detained there.”

The Mumbai Police has issued orders prohibiting public gatherings of five or more persons without permission across the city from July 23 to August 6, PTI reported.

Theatre artist Dhammrakshit Randive, who was headed towards Chaityabhoomi, said he was first intercepted at Dadar railway station, and was briefly detained in a police van.

Subsequently, he managed to join the protest at Dadar for about an hour.

“We were a group of 80,” Randive told Scroll. “The police eventually detained us near Plaza cinema. I was detained for an hour then let go.”

“We were not assaulted but others were," he alleged, adding that he and his friends had shot video of police assault on their phones.

Goa

Leaders from the Goa unit of the Aam Aadmi Party joined a one-day hunger strike at Azad Maidan in Panaji in solidarity with Wangchuk.

AAP Goa president Valmiki Naik and other party leaders extended support to students and protesters demanding the education minister’s resignation.

Meghalaya

In Shillong, students, senior citizens and others gathered at Don Bosco Square, carrying placards and banners in support of the campaign.

Nagaland

Hundreds of persons also gathered at Super Market in Dimapur in support of the CJP-led campaign.

West Bengal

In Kolkata, students of the Jadavpur University led a march in solidarity with the protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Uttar Pradesh

Protests were also reported in parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Pilibhit and Bhadohi, where demonstrations were held by the Aam Aadmi Party.

Assam

In Assam, supporters gathered in four different locations in Guwahati to rally behind Wangchuk and the demands for education reforms, The Assam Tribune reported.

Earlier on Friday, two artists were detained for painting a mural expressing support for Wangchuk.

The action came a day after a mural of Wangchuk appeared on a flyover pillar in the city with the text “Save Sonam Wangchuk”.

It was reportedly painted by students of the Government College of Art & Craft on Thursday night.

Around the world

Solidarity demonstrations were also reported outside India, with members of the Indian diaspora gathering outside the Consulate General of India in Toronto, Canada to express support for Wangchuk and the campaign’s demands.

Similiar protests are also scheduled to be held in parts of the United Kingdom later on Monday including in London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow.

Inputs by Tabassum Barnagarwala. Edited by Neerad Pandharipande.

• Watch: Young protesters in Delhi face police lathi-charge and tear gas
• Follow the latest updates of the CJP protest here
• Also read: How the ‘cockroaches’ at the Jantar Mantar sit-in are keeping themselves busy