Jantar Mantar Protest: At Jantar Mantar, food has become a big part of the protest scene. Pizzas, biryani, langar, fruits and even golgappas are being shared freely with students who are part of the ongoing CJP protest. Volunteers from many backgrounds have come together to feed the crowd and keep everyone hydrated as the protest over the NEET paper leak and the demand for Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation continues. Reuters reported that the movement has grown into a wider youth-led protest, with support coming from across India and even abroad.
The protest ground now looks more like a community kitchen than a normal sit-in. Office workers, older people, children and local groups are all helping out. They are passing out meals, snacks and drinks without asking for anything in return.
The food being served also matches the young crowd at the site. Along with proper meals, protesters are getting chips, biscuits, fruit juices and cold drinks. Nearby vendors are also giving out golgappas and dahi bhallas free of cost.
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Langar, Fruits and Water for Protesters
The Sikh community has played a very visible role in the support effort. Nihang Sikhs and other members of the community set up langar and kept serving fresh food through Wednesday. Children were seen handing out water bottles. Elderly volunteers were giving bananas and seasonal fruits to the people sitting at the protest. Some food packets even had portable hand fans tucked inside them so the students could get a little relief from the heat.
Ravi Maurya, who works with a multinational company in Delhi and took leave to help, said the support was coming from everywhere. “People from different states are sending food and drinking water. We are also receiving contributions from Indians living abroad. Everyone wants to help the students in whatever way they can,” Maurya said. He also explained why hand fans were being added to meal packets. “It may be a small gesture, but we felt every packet should carry something that can provide a little comfort,” Maurya added.
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Small Acts that Matter
The protest site has also shown many quiet moments of kindness. One of the volunteers, Isha, a NEET aspirant who dropped a year and came with her cousin, said they wanted to do something useful.
“We understand the uncertainty faced by the students. We wanted to contribute in whatever way we could, and bringing snacks felt like the simplest way to support them,” Isha said, adding that they used their pocket money to buy the snacks.
There were also small scenes that showed how close people at the site had become. One student offered a biscuit to another. When she refused, he smiled and said, “You have one, I will have one. This way we will finish the packet together.” An elderly woman giving out fruits said, “I wanted to make sure they eat something healthy. If they are sitting here for hours, the least we can do is look after them,”. Amit, a college student handing out water bottles, said, “It is very hot, and many students have been here since morning. If giving someone a bottle of water helps them stay here a little longer, that is enough for me,”.
Protest Continues after Police Action
The sit-in has gone on after the police crackdown on the CJP-led “Sansad Chalo” march on Monday. Reuters reported that police used tear gas and batons as protesters tried to move towards Parliament at the start of the Monsoon Session. Even after that, the crowd at Jantar Mantar kept coming back.
The repeated chants over alleged exam irregularities have continued, but so has the support network around the protesters. Volunteers move through the crowd with trays, cartons and meal packets, making food one of the strongest signs of solidarity at the site.
