Swedish activist Greta Thunberg has praised the recent student protests in India and stated that the movement has shown the “true meaning of people power.”
Event Context
While joining a rally in London’s Trafalgar Square, Thunberg showed solidarity with the Indian youth and stated that the movement has also given hope to young people around the world.
“The Indian student protest has made us all proud! They have given us hope! They show what we can accomplish when people come together and resist. They show the true meaning of people power. The Indian students’ struggle for justice and the broader struggle for democracy and liberation is also our struggle. So we all have to come together now and rise up in solidarity with India,” said Thunberg.
Thunberg was among many of the people who joined the weekend gathering organised by the SFI as a celebration of the movement’s victory.
Team Analysis
The student protest, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, started in June. Alongside activist Sonam Wangchuk, the online outfit demanded the resignation of union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET paper leak and other exam irregularities.
Following this, the CJP team met with union ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh, who told them that the government was ready to fulfil all demands made by the outfit and the protestors.
Also Read | ‘Bigger than fear’: The volunteers who kept the stir running at Jantar Mantar
The remaining demands were maximum compensation for the families who lost their children by suicide due to the paper leak, and no legal or police cases against the students and youth who participated in the protest.
After this assurance, the CJP announced it had called off its protest and urged volunteers and students to head home.
Match Outlook
During the agitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a fast-track court would be set up to look into the NEET paper leak and other cases. Despite this, the protest continued and gained momentum as each day passed.
After a 36-day protest, on July 25, Dharmendra Pradhan announced he had submitted his resignation to the PM. While the BJP leader took responsibility for the NEET UG paper leak in his letter, Pradhan left without an apology and after calling the protests “anti-national.”
