Actor and writer, Manav Kaul decided to take action rather than just being a voice on Friday when he took to the streets of Mumbai with thousands of other students who were protesting. Rather than just turning up, the actor took time with the protestors, gave out water bottles, and made sure that the attention was not drawn to him but to the students instead.
Event Context
Manav Kaul, known for his roles in Baramulla and Tumhari Sullu along with Vidya Balan, was among the numerous celebrities who participated in the student protest organised at Shivaji Park, Dadar, on July 24. The actor was spotted at the site dressed in a black polo-neck T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a brown sling bag, distributing water bottles from a box to the students protesting at the place.
Several clips were uploaded by the fans about Manav’s participation in the protest rally, with numerous people appreciating his humility. Posting a video online, one user wrote, “Mad respect for my goat” regarding the actor being a real-life hero.
In yet another clip that has gone viral, Manav moved away when reporters approached him and encouraged the students to give their statements, saying, “They are important.”
The Mumbai protest happened when thousands of people were gathered at Shivaji Park for Tiranga Morcha of Shiv Sena (UBT) demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the allegations of NEET paper leak. There were thousands of people who gathered around the Meenatai Thackeray statue waving Tricolor flags along with posters and portraits of Bhagat Singh and Dr B R Ambedkar.
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It was reported that there were around 2,000 to 2,500 people who attended the protest, according to local authorities. Actors Atul Kulkarni, Arjun Mathur, Kritika Kamra, Chandan Roy Sanyal and comedian Kunal Kamra were also among those attending the protest.
Protests erupted following the alleged NEET paper leak, infuriating lakhs of aspirants seeking admission into medical colleges across the nation. The examination process was under scrutiny, and matters worsened with reports of suicide cases of students coming into the spotlight after the cancelled examination.
Students, their parents and other supporters protested at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, and other parts of the nation. Thousands of protesters are showing up daily in the capital, questioning the authorities and urging swift action. These protests began after a satirical political party known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was created. This political party was formed following a statement made by the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, calling unemployed youths ‘cockroaches’.
Some of the main demands include the resignation of the Education Minister of the Union Government, Dharmendra Pradhan, and also compensation of ₹1 crore to the family of students who have died by suicide. Now that the movement has already gone out of the Jantar Mantar area in Delhi, it has spread to many other places in the country due to the Sansad March on July 20, during which many students were lathi-charged and tear-gassed.
