Jantar Mantar
It was during the students’ protests at Jantar Mantar in July that a young man from Bihar reportedly fell in love with a fellow protester and eventually married her. It became one of the most talked-about subplots of a protest that despite being serious and effective had its fair share of fun. There was camaraderie, music and Instagram Reels – marred only by the ruthlessness of a police force that appeared partisan and insensitive to the young protesters.
When the student leaders decided to reconvene at Jantar Mantar to demand the CEC’s resignation, it brought a wave of hope and cheer to this blogger’s neighbourhood. A respected member of our housing society was particularly enthused. Perhaps, he hoped, their daughter – an activist of some repute, might find a suitable match at Jantar Mantar! One could empathise with the parents. They had apparently seen prospective suitors turn away from their daughter for the unforgivable crime of pursuing a PhD at JNU. So much for a university ranked second in India in the NIRF 2025 university rankings. https://www.nirfindia.org/Rankings/2025/UniversityRanking.html
These protests, it would seem, are educating Dilliwallahs in ways no classroom ever could. The other day, a protestor spoke about how he had finally come to understand how Indian troops could fire upon their unarmed fellow citizens at Jallianwala Bagh on the orders of Brigadier General Reginald Dyer. The explanation? “They were just following orders.” This, he claimed, helped him make peace with one of the bloodiest episodes in Indian history. It also helped him understand the mindset of the policemen deployed at Jantar Mantar. And there, perhaps, lies the most unsettling lesson of all: How easily the act of ‘following orders’ can become an excuse for abandoning one’s conscience. History may change its setting, its uniforms and its vocabulary. The question it leaves behind, however, remains the same: When does obedience cease to be duty and become complicity?
Unable to contain the protests, the political dispensation has reached for its favourite escape route: the foreign hand. But whose? Surely no major power would want to destabilise a country with 1.4 billion consumers. Not the USA. Trump is too busy surprising himself, with Iran and Yemen keeping him on his toes and Netanyahu ensuring he has homework even between breaths. Not Russia. It’s a friend, and besides, Ukraine keeps it occupied. Not Japan. Its companies are deeply invested in India, and it happens to be our External Affairs Minister’s sasural. Not China. Xi and Modi have a swing connection. Not Pakistan. Our Godi media has already declared it a failed state, and we keep beating them at cricket and hockey. Not Italy. Our leaders are too busy striking melodious notes. And surely not Seychelles, Papua New Guinea, Cyprus, Fiji and thirty-odd other nations that have showered our beloved Prime Minister with their highest civilian honours. Which leaves Germany. Aha! Dhruv Rathee was in India. Case solved. The foreign hand, by a process of elimination, has been located. Forget the protests. Catch the hand!
StateOfDelhi Suggests: Get to Connaught Place when the cops allow business to run as usual and stop over at Connaught Clubhouse. It is renowned as Delhi’s pioneering German brewery, with interiors modelled after Berlin breweries. Their German wheat beer is a must-try. The place is lively with foot-tapping music playing and the joint offers some interesting food pairings. The catch? Entry is via Tolstoy Lane. So, you might have to wait until Delhi Police shifts its gaze to Jantar Mantar across the road and lets CP be CP again for Dilliwalahs who love to hang out with friends and strangers with a lager in their hand! Raise a toast to Dhruv Rathee, Neha Bora, Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
Jantar Mantar featured in our earlier blog too: https://stateofdelhi.in/national-injustice-and-jantar-mantar/