Tear gas at 2pm, jubilation by 6: When the waiting paid off at Jantar Mantar

With jammers in place in many parts of central Delhi, news of Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation trickled in slowly at the protest site in Jantar Mantar.

With jammers in place in many parts of central Delhi, news of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation trickled in slowly at the protest site in Jantar Mantar on Saturday afternoon but when it did, the celebrations were immediate.

At around 10.15pm on Saturday, police estimated that a crowd of 4,000 people remained at the site. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Protesters—young and old, men and women, parents and children—broke into a dance; some sang the national anthem, some wept, others hugged each other and jumped, and chanted “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.

Connaught Place, Sansad Marg, Tolstoy Marg became centres of celebrations. But it was a journey to get here, protesters acknowledged.

On day 36 of the protest—it had seen activist Sonam Wangchuk and at least 3 students hold a hunger strike, Wangchuk being forcibly removed, violence in the form of lathi-charge and tear gas at the hands of police on July 20 in which more than 100 protesters, as well as more than 100 police personnel, were injured, internet suspended, and Metro stations closed—Pradhan’s resignation was preceded by a flurry of activity within the government, and at the site.

Minutes before Pradhan’s post on X, two incidents of lathi charge and tear gas were also reported at Sansad Marg. At 1.56pm, police fired tear gas at protesters after some were seen breaking windows of the police booth in front of the Jantar Mantar protest site near the entrance at Tolstoy Marg. An HT reporter also saw a man break the CCTV camera atop a pole. Another round of tear gas was fired at 2.05pm by police personnel, as witnessed by an HT reporter present at the site. Police said five personnel were injured in stone pelting by protesters.

Even as the CJP announced that the protest had ended and some people started leaving, others kept coming in to celebrate the victory. Popular Hindi songs, such as “Chak De! India” and “Rang De Basanti”, blared through loudspeakers as the demonstrators were in no rush to end the celebrations.

Avnish Naman, a 20-year-old law graduate who learnt of the minister’s resignation while on his way to the protest, told HT, “This victory feels so personal. My friend and I have been coming here since July 20. We were hit with tear gas; it was so painful to watch, but this decision makes me so happy. Our generation often has to hear that we don’t do anything, we are always on our phones… Today has shown what we can do with our phones. We got the education minister’s resignation.”

The protest was marked by a steady inflow of students, from across Delhi, neighbouring NCR cities and far-flung states, with the demographic younger than at other protests for reforms, according to the demonstrators. For many, like 25-year-old Khushi, who is pursuing medicine, it was their first time at a protest. She told HT, “We have shown that people hold the power.”

Lakshay Chauhan, 23, who is pursuing his master’s in Haryana, said that the past few days had shown that the “spirit of Bhagat Singh, Dr BR Ambedkar is alive in today’s youth.”

At the protest site, an 18-year-old from Rajasthan’s Kota was seen approaching other protesters for their autographs in a thin notebook he had specifically brought for the purpose. “When I left from home, my parents told me this was a fake protest. They said I was wasting my time, and that no one would listen to us. I am getting autographs of people who have stood with me and other youngsters here since July 20,” he said.

Others like 24-year-old video editor Khushi Chopra said one minister’s resignation was not enough. “What does one resignation amount to? It is an incredible achievement but what if a similar person replaces Pradhan? We need an overhaul of the system. Multiple agencies and officials let students down. Systemic change is needed else this will just be a symbolic victory,” she said.

Yashika, 21, a student from Delhi, said, “My friends and I have been coming here from the initial days (of the protest) and faced tear gas shelling just this afternoon. The next minute, we heard that the minister has resigned. I can’t tell you the happiness we felt. We didn’t know one another but we all hugged. We tasted the joy of victory today.”

A 25-year-old man, who identified himself as Dr Pulkit, said that he is preparing for NEET PG. “I have faced the pressure; so, I know what the students are feeling. This resignation was overdue and only a beginning,” he said.

Another 25-year-old, Vishal, who came from Mumbai, said, “The larger thing to have happened from the protest is that people are not afraid anymore. They feel empowered and that they can still make a difference.”

At 6pm, CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka got on to the stage to loud cheers and informed the protesters of the developments following their meeting with the government. “We are happy to tell you that all our three demands have been met. You already know about the resignation. They have also agreed about honorary compensation to families of students who died by suicide. They have also assured us that all the FIRs will be withdrawn and no legal action will be taken against those who protested on July 20,” he said.

“Because all our primary demands have been met, we request you to peacefully withdraw the protest. Thank you. We will meet you soon,” he ended the address.