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🇮🇳 India /Culture & Society

Food, Medicine Arrive for Delhi Protesters as Support Swells After Crackdown

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Supporters are sending food and medicine to protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, who are demanding the education minister's resignation over alleged NEET exam irregularities.
  • Delivery partners are bringing pre-paid orders from individuals across India to the protest site, with some specifically asking for food to be given to hungry students.
  • The protest continues after a police crackdown on a march to Parliament, with organizers vowing to return despite authorities maintaining restrictions.

The protest site at Jantar Mantar is witnessing an unusual wave of support as people from across India send food and essential supplies to demonstrators demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam. For over a month, the protest has seen solidarity from hundreds of protesters, leaders, and actors.

anyone who is hungry there

— Anuj Rawat (order placer)Instructions given to a Zomato delivery partner for a food order sent to the Jantar Mantar protest site.

Delivery partners from Swiggy and Zomato are arriving at the site with pre-paid orders. One delivery partner shared that an order was placed by a man from Maharashtra, who instructed him to give the food to "anyone who is hungry there." Another order included 25 veg thalis, with the sender wanting to help the students.

Someone named Anil Yadav ordered 25 veg thalis and told me to drop it off near the protest venue. They just wanted to help the students. This is my second order delivery here.

— Swiggy delivery partnerDescribing a food delivery to the protest site.

Supporters are also arriving in person. Usman, a resident of Chawdi Bazar, brought food after being moved by videos of the previous day's police crackdown. "Our way of expressing solidarity," he stated. Shivam from Faridabad, accompanied by his elder brother, expressed that the government's handling of the situation would only fuel further resentment.

We saw videos of young girls being beaten up. People from our neighborhood asked us to take food along with us. Our way of expressing solidarity.

— UsmanExplaining his reason for bringing food to the protest site.

Visuals from the protest site show tables laden with various food items, including pizzas and burgers, alongside essential medicines and water bottles. Despite a police crackdown on Monday's march to Parliament, which resulted in injuries, hundreds of protesters and supporters gathered on Tuesday. Delhi Police have maintained Section 163 restrictions, urging people not to crowd the area.

We have brought food with us. We were protesting peacefully yesterday. The way the government has dealt with children will only fuel more resentment.

— ShivamSpeaking about the protest and the government's response.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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