Jantar Mantar protest: 13-year-old Rajasthan boy came with aunt, not for CJP cause
The afternoon sun was relentless, but it did little to slow the crowds gathering at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. Thousands of protesters poured into the
The afternoon sun was relentless, but it did little to slow the crowds gathering at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday. Thousands of protesters poured into the demonstration site carrying banners, raising slogans and singing as they assembled a day after the Sansad Chalo march on July 20. Police personnel were stationed at the entrance to Jantar Mantar, checking people as they entered the protest venue. Inside, the gathering remained peaceful. Thousands of protesters marched together, sang slogans and waved placards. Read Full Story The sheer size of the crowd made it difficult to move through the venue at times, as people continued arriving from different parts of the country.
As I walked deeper into the protest venue, I came across a 13-year-old boy who had traveled from Rajasthan to Delhi with his bua (paternal aunt). 'WE CAME FROM RAJASTHAN BY TRAIN' The teenager said he had travelled all the way from Rajasthan by train with his aunt to attend the gathering. "We came from Rajasthan by train," he said. When asked why he had come, the boy candidly admitted he did not know much about the protest itself. "There was a NAFI (Federation of Indian Women) meeting. I just came with my aunt.
I don't know what this protest is about," the youngster added. Unlike many of the adults around him, who had gathered with a clear understanding of the issues they were raising, the 13-year-old's reason for being there was much simpler. For him, it was less about the demonstration and more about accompanying his aunt on the journey from Rajasthan to Delhi. His answer was a reminder that many families had travelled together to Delhi. For some children, the protest was less about the cause and more about accompanying parents or relatives on a journey they would remember.
A MOMENT THAT STOOD OUT As speeches continued and slogans echoed through the crowd under the blazing sun, the brief conversation with the teenager offered a different perspective. Thousands had come to raise their voices. But for the 13-year-old, the day may simply be remembered as a train ride from Rajasthan, time spent with his aunt and his first glimpse of a protest far bigger than he understood. Ends
The BriefWire