It's not just the people who infuse life into a protest. Sometimes, it's the venue as well, which embodies thousands of emotions. Recently, sc struck down an NGT ban on organising protests at jantar mantar. DNA traces history of these places in being symbols of rebellion.
Nip was just setting in for impending winter in 1988's October. Life moved in bureaucratic order in the national capital till a semi-literate agriculturist from hinterland put a spanner in the wheel. Mahendra Singh Takait, Jat farmer leader belonging to Uttar Pradesh, turned Delhi's showpiece India Gate, into an eyesore. He descended, five lakh counterparts in tow, at Boat Club, which was the heart of dissent during that time. One of the biggest and most notorious agitations of post-Independence India, pictures of hordes of dhoti clad farmers squatting on lush green lawns of the crowning glory of India is still etched firmly in the memory of old timers.
Circa 2012
Thousands of people braved water cannons and police lathis on a chilly December morning. Anger outpoured at India Gate and Jantar Mantar for Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old medical student, who was brutally gangraped and left to die. Newspapers splashed pictures of women screaming their lungs out, men being dragged by cops, riot control vehicles muting the protesters and the rampant police brutality.
What remained a common thread through these agitations were these two venues that have lent a forceful support with their symbolism to weak and strong voices alike. These resistance squares, including the Ram Leela grounds, have been the epicentre of socio-political movements in the national capital, unifying everyone - students, karamcharis, intellectuals, chief ministers and to-be, actors, farmers, on the same platform.
Tryst with dissent
The national capital being the seat of power, perceptibly, draws more defiant public to voice their outrage. Its tryst with dissent is centuries-old starting with Gandhi's Dandi Satyagraha conglomeration at Yamuna Bank to Queen's Garden (now Azad Park) becoming epicentre of the Freedom Movement. Post-Independence, Boat Club, Jantar Mantar, and Ramlila Maidan have emerged as iconic sites for agitations, no matter how minor or monumental. The advantage being their proximity to the Parliament, which has been utilised by stellar leaders like Atal Behari Vajpayee and Jai Prakash Narayan. Along with the netas, these squares stand instrumental in shaping the voice of dissent in Delhi, as also the changing face of rebellion. If Boat Club has seen hordes of farmers conglomerating at Rajpath in 1989 to rally behind their Jat face Takait simply by the word of mouth, it was the hashtags on social media that brought anger on the streets of Jantar Mantar for Nirbhaya.
Rowing rebellion
The Boat Club was the most famous venue to defy the government and its diktats for everyone, cutting across economic and social lines. Tales of Vajpayee's speeches and JP's confidence are narrated with much fondness. Old timers recall how the place was rife with activity. "The venue was the hub of political dissent before the Emergency - a symbol of protests for service class, farmers, poor, even politicians. Stages were set up at Vijay Chowk from where speeches were made to wake up slumbering government," recollects Dr Inderjit Singh, former member, Central Committee, CPI(M).
At the same time, Boat Club served as a post-lunch adda of government employees working in nearby offices. In winters, they idled away time by eating groundnuts and summers were reserved for playing cards. Machine ka thanda paani (metal water dispensers) soaked the parched throats of tourists at just 10 paise. Another familiar sight in the early 70s was former Prime Minister Vajpayee swaying the crowd during his younger days as the then Leader of Opposition.
"My earliest memory of the Boat Club is of Vajpayee descending here during lunch time. Babus heard intently when he tore through the Congress during lunch-hour meetings with his counterparts. Some even extended their lunch break, gorging on chana jor garam, only to listen to him," recalls Prof Jagmohan Manchanda, former professor, Delhi University, who had witnessed such gatherings.
Baldev Singh Sidhu, former student leader from Punjab, remembers how stories of Boat Club bewitched him. "I was a comrade in the making. You know... believing in the Left. I once saw Vajpayee sitting at Boat Club surrounded by khadi clad men. He was mocking Indira Gandhi in chaste Hindi. The atmosphere was subtly charged. That one evening here changed my life," he says, refusing to draw into further conversation.
Before the Emergency, Boat Club became synonymous with political parties vociferously opposing the Congress government. Leaders blared over loud speakers against the government's excesses while small-time chuski and ice-cream vendors pocketed extra earnings. "My most lasting imprint of Boat Club is also just before the Emergency," Manchanda says. "I remember JP marching through Rajpath, carrying a chair, his supporters daring Indira Gandhi to abdicate the seat, shouting 'Sinhaansan Khaali Karo Ki Janta Aati Hai'," he reminisces. Boat Club too has been restored as bonus by the top court in its latest orders, allowing peaceful sit-ins.
It is Takait, though, who is talked in glowing terms for forcing the government to shift the protest plaza to Jantar Mantar in 1993. Stories are recounted how the fiery leader stopped the city in its tracks, forcing the government, which was earlier dismissive of him, to sit up and take notice. "He jammed the entire city. It was a difficult time. Scores of kisans sat on the lawns for one week, resorting to singing and cooking during the night and listening to Takait's revolutionary monologues during the day. Cattle outnumbered tourists visiting India Gate. Their droppings were an eyesore on the finely manicured lawns and the snobbish order of official district," remembers senior journalist Raman Mohan.
A new address
After this chaos, the government cited security reasons - that it is close to the Prime Minister's Office, North and South Block of the Parliament - and proposed to shift the resistance square to Jantar Mantar. Since then, the almost a kilometre-long street adjacent to the 18th century equinoctical sundial has remained the hotbed of various movements for the past two decades. Some changed the course of the Indian history, some couldn't be more than a flash in the pan.
It was here that the Jan Lokpal and India Against Corruption (IAC) were anchored. Thousands of youngsters had gathered to demand harsher punishments for the guilty through two of the most monumental protests in the recent past.
Cutting across all barriers
For the past two decades, rainbow of people have assembled here, each with their own peeve, and only one hope - to rattle the government into taking action. The pale brown pavement turns green with carpets as demonstrators march in, armed with placards that support rape victims and rapists alike. Tents are erected to house a larger crowd as intellectuals gather to denounce beef lynching (#NotInMyName). On another day, local poets set up banner of Hindu-Muslim unity, eulogising the importance of secularism. Among the temporary visitors - which can extend up to few weeks - one can find farmers from Tamil Nadu, barely clad, waiting patiently in their makeshift home - Jantar Mantar - for the Centre to listen to them.
For others like Jagjeet Kaur, the observatory is their permanent home. At least for the past few years. She has been staging a sit-in, protesting police inaction against a senior Punjab Police officer who allegedly assaulted her. Supporters of disgraced self-styled godman Sant Satpal from Hisar, who is facing sedition charges, have camped here before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) embargo, screaming innocence on behalf of their "bhagwan". Love charger Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh pinned his hopes of release, after conviction for rape, on young boys and girls, their canopy bearing "Insaan" nameplate, and drawing more disgust than support. All this has safely earned Jantar Mantar moniker of Janta ka Mantra to attract attention. It is also a favourite haunt of journalists who come here sniffing stories. OB vans can be seen regularly parked here while their rightful users debate about current hot topic.
Echoes of change
In 2011, the stony monument reverberated with cries of Jan Lokpal. In those historic moments, Anna Hazare shared both the vision and dais with Arvind Kejriwal during the India Against Corruption movement (IAC), of which, Jantar Mantar too was a witness. Friends turned rivals and formed parties with the historical structure in the backdrop. While people may not remember the details of IAC, the venue has instant recall value. A year later, the fury of vox populi at Jantar Mantar, following Nirbhaya's rape, changed the course of Indian law. Silent candle marches, emotional public discourses, street plays, vocal demonstrations ensured that Section 376 was amended.
Actor Gul Panag, who was a part of the IAC, emphasises upon the symbolic part of the monument in determining dissent. "It was India's own Tahrir Square moment. That it took place at Jantar Mantar turned it more enormous.
Since it is so closely located to nucleus of power, it is imperative that all the on-goings here will be noticed. Media is also piqued to find out what is happening there by sheer dint of its location," she says, adding how the place is also a great denominator for demonstrators. "I remember when I had gone to support the One Rank One Pension, a motley group of people who identified themselves as Association of People Aggrieved by Corruption of Ram Vilas Paswan, were holding a dharna. It didn't matter if you are an aam aadmi or a popular person. Jantar Mantar is for everyone. Simply holding a banner here adds weight to your grievance, morally and otherwise," she feels.
Not just for Ram Lila
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation allotted an acre of land at Ram Lila Ground to dissenting janta after the Green body prohibited using Jantar Mantar for the same. It shot to prominence in 2011 when Hazare and party shifted their scene of action here due to a police crackdown. Jawahar Lal Nehru, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Morarji Desai and other leaders of yore addressed massive gatherings at this sprawling area near the Walled City. People from pre-Emergency era spin yarns of interesting anecdotes of Charan Singh, Chandrashekhar, Vajpayee and JP holding rallies to bring down Gandhi's regime. "Weather was balmy in February. It didn't hurt to sit out in the sun listening to these old horses and young turks together. The government had unsuccessfully tried to make the rally a no-show by suspending bus service. But those were different times. People walked from across the city to express their resentment against the incumbent legislature. I was one of them, resisting the temptation of watching a super hit Hindi movie on television," laughs Prof Krishan Kanta Gautam whose husband was arrested under Emergency. "It was all a government ploy. But you should have seen the ground to believe it. The crowd burst at the seams," she muses over. The picture of yoga guru Baba Ramdev clad in white saree, fleeing, fearing arrest from Delhi Police during Jan Lokpal days is another iconic scene the protest square is associated with.
Ram Lila maidan, however, has not been able to replicate the popularity of its predecessor inspite a glorious past. According to reports, it has seen around 12 protests since the NGT prohibitory orders. The Rs 50,000 usage fee and Rs 5,000 security deposit has been a deterrent.
Patel Chest Institute
The favourite cradle of fledglings and prospective politicians, this is where DU student leaders assemble when on a warpath, either with authorities or social mores. The anti-Mandal Commission agitation was seeded here. Campus politics that play out here invariably set tone for a larger political discourse. Surrounded by book stalls, printing shops, and pocket friendly cafes, this part of North Campus regularly sees students crouched on their heels, demanding more hostel rooms, an end to nexus of overcharging PGs among more serious issues of nationalism. In February 2016, when Ramjas College erupted into violence, thousands of differing voices blared cacophonic idealism here. One of the most telling and recent memories of a charged-up attack by the ABVP is of March 2017 when party leaders jolted the campus with gory pictures of RSS workers killed in Kerala. In the beginning of 2018, Delhi University Teachers’ Association saw regular protests against the autonomy of the DU colleges at Patel Chest.
Achche din aa gaye
The Supreme Court judgment is a cause of celebration for thousands who are hopeful of dignity added to their defiance, not to mention tea sellers and small snack shops in the vicinity. Like the fresh brew tea he has been selling at Jantar Mantar for aeons now, Narayan Gupta now smells better business. Teeming with activity till October 2017, the street was always packed with disgruntled souls carrying placards, uninterested cops keeping a watchful eye on them, journalists pacing up and down for stories. "All of them wanted chai every few minutes. My samosas and pakoras added zing to their dreary routine. I earned fine but now I am optimistic that it will look up like old days," he says. Kamlesh Shukla, a socks and handkerchief vendor, too, hopes to have a brisk business "after one year". "I do not know the details but came to know that some ban was lifted. I stopped coming here after October last year as sales declined. There was hardly anyone to buy my products," the man says. "Suna hai log ab fir se dharna karenge yahan. I have stocked my ware for achchhe din," he smiles.
Across the world, protest plazas have famously witnessed political upheavals throughout the history
- Tahrir Square, Cairo: Main seat of Egyptian revolution in 2011 that forced then President Hosni Mubarak to resign
- Union Square, New York City: Frequently used for Black Lives Matter movements. Famous for labour union rallies since 1800
- Azadi Square, Tehran: Unrest engulfed the monument when thousands of demonstrators gathered here in June 2009 against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s return to office
- Taksim Square, Istanbul: It was here that the famous football riots happened when two Leeds United fans were stabbed to death. Also the sight of famous Taksim Square Massacre in 1977 in which 36 Left Wing demonstrators were killed by alleged right-wing gunmen
- Tiananmen Square, Beijing: Most famous for the June 4th incident. Lakhs of students, followed by citizens, protested against the government for pro-democratic rights
Indian counterparts have also been symbolically significant in movements which acted like agents of change
- Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar: The notorious massacre here on April 13, 1919 rendered this place as a sight of bloodiest protests in the Indian history. Colonel Reginald Dyer and his troops fired indiscriminately at hapless demonstrators. This fuelled the anti-British sentiment further, leading to Indian Nationalism
- Gandhi Maidan, Patna: Historic pre-Independence movements like Champaran and Quit India were launched from here
- Azad Maidan, Mumbai: Mahatma Gandhi addressed the largest public gathering here in December 1931
- College Square, Kolkata: The seed of the Young Bengal Movement in the early 19th century was sowed here. It has shaped discourses and political parties during its 200-year-old history as a protest site
Must Go On...
- Highlighting the significance of demonstrations for a healthy democracy, the Supreme Court on July 23, struck down the National Green Tribunal ban on protests at Jantar Mantar
- “The right to protest is recognised as a fundamental right under the Constitution… this right is crucial in a democracy,” a SC bech said
‘Janta ka Mantra’
According to the last year’s figures available with New Delhi district office, Jantar Mantar was almost always packed with action before the NGT ban was imposed
1,063 protests
2,383 rallies
22 religious processions
12 rallies
24,000 requests received by the Parliament Street Police Station to hold protests
1,960 foreign dignitaries visited
2,000-5,000 Cops and paramilitary forces deployed on an average
In 2016
1,460 demonstrations
18 rallies
3,200 dharnas
In 2018 (till now)
452 protests of all kinds
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