“Youth is not a phase; it’s a revolution waiting to happen.”
The so-called “lazy” and “spoilt” generation has proved the power of its voice, demonstrating its grit and determination for justice. Days of protest and unrest in the national capital yielded results—Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as education minister. The movement has inspired something similar in Jharkhand.
For many, Pradhan’s resignation marks only the beginning of Gen-Z’s rebellion. However, some demands are yet to be fulfilled. A formal apology to all those who suffered is pending, and the youth will not rest until complete justice is served.
The Gen-Z movement fills everyone with hope for the future, but on the other hand, it also fills us with a dread, as we realise how cruel the police force can get, threatening a normal citizen’s sense of security.
“WORLD’S LARGEST DEMOCRACY”—That’s what we call our nation, our India. Our textbooks are filled with examples of why India is the model example of democracy. But after what happened on 20 July, 2026?
Imagine walking with the youth of our nation, peacefully protesting for education rights, asking the government to right the wrong, but only to be ambushed by a lathi charge, tear gas shells, spraying people with high-pressure water, to what can only be described as a modern version of the Jallianwala Bagh incident.
Protesters remark that it was like being in an open jail. The fact that these words come out of the citizens of the capital of a country that claims to be democratic and peace-loving shows us how pathetic the current situation is for the youth of our nation.
It wasn’t just members of the Cockroach Janta Party who were part of that protest. There were people of all ages. There were school-going children as young as 12, parents, and elderly people protesting for the government to take accountability and show that they care about the future of our country. We saw rather horrific incidents unfold on that day. People were charged with lathis brutally, beaten until they bled, a woman was stripped off her clothes by a female police officer, and a twelve-year-old child left with a severely injured head, all this by the police forces whom we consider our ‘protectors’.
Democracy should not come at such a high price. Freedom of speech should not be exercised in fear, but with confidence and pride that the government will listen. Repressing the youth and calling them your ‘friends’ doesn’t cut it. Ironically, a nation that gained its freedom through peaceful protests then repressed its students for using those same peaceful methods.
Sirii Saraswati Gowda is a student of National Public School – NORTH, Bengaluru. Views are personal.
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