After the police crackdown, citizens sent food, medicine and necessities to Jantar Mantar, inundating volunteers with donations.
Two days after they were beaten with batons and tear gas by Delhi Police as they attempted to march to Parliament, thousands of unchecked protesters continue to gather at the Jantar Mantar protest site and surrounding main roads.
On Tuesday, many said they came to Jantar Mantar after seeing videos of violence against protesters. They did not show up empty-handed. They came with boxes of water, soft drinks, home-cooked meals, bananas, medicine, potato chips and cookies.
Two friends who came from South Delhi’s East Kailash told HT, “Since the police dismantled the theater on Monday and the arrangements must have been ruined, we decided to do our bit and get what we can. So, we got two cartons of refrigerated Lahori jeera. It’s not enough, but it’s something.”
Usman, 23, a resident of Chowdi Bazar, was also one of them. “We saw videos of young people, including girls, being beaten. People from my neighborhood asked me to take some food here, and the neighbors brought home-cooked food – roti, sabzi, dal. So I brought this for everyone who wanted to eat. People have been here for hours and days. This is our way of expressing solidarity.”
“My brother and I brought samosas with us from Faridabad. We were protesting peacefully yesterday. The way the government has treated the children will only fuel more discontent,” said Shivam, 20, a resident of Faridabad who is pursuing a diploma in computer science.
Since Tuesday, every few hours, delivery managers have stopped to deliver food ordered by strangers to anyone hungry at the protest site. Around 7.30pm on Tuesday, HT met the delivery person who was on a video call with the customer who ordered a kilo of biryani.
Ravi Kumar, a delivery executive who came from a restaurant in Greater Kailash, told HT, “A person named Anil ordered 25 vegetable plates and asked me to drop them near the protest venue. They just wanted to help the students. This is my second delivery here.”
By 10pm, appeals were issued from the platform asking people to stop sending food. At 1:30 pm on Wednesday, the Kokroch Janta Party (CJP) posted on X: “Update from Jantar Mantar: We have enough food for today! Please do not send more food, as we want to ensure that nothing is wasted. Many thanks to everyone who contributed!”
Outside the protest site, several delivery managers stood unsure what to do with orders that protesters had refused to take because there was already too much food. “I called the customer via video and had him talk to a volunteer who told him that they could not accept any more food,” said delivery person Mausam. “This is my sixth visit to the protest site today. Every time I come here, the volunteers start offering me food to eat.”
Inside the protest site, a few volunteers set up tables to hold food, while others stand in line offering food to anyone entering or exiting. Apart from food, there are also stalls offering slippers, facial tissues, Dettol, bandages, medicines, rehydration solution, cotton and sanitary napkins. On Wednesday, students of Aryabhatta College, Delhi University, gathered $8,000 within four hours to buy sanitary pads, oral rehydration salts sachets and food items
“People were affected by the protest and everything that happened on Monday,” said a 31-year-old protester who asked to remain anonymous. “Even if they can’t be here, they are showing their support in these ways.”
Saloni Bhatia is a journalist with over 15 years of experience in reporting and storytelling, with a strong focus on the Delhi government and political developments in the capital. Over the years, I have closely followed political decisions, governance issues and political transitions. She started out as an entertainment journalist but then moved on to covering issues such as crime and education. Her crime-fighting experience helped her develop an eye for detail and accuracy, while educational reporting allowed her to explore the impact of policies on students, teachers and institutions. Outside of the newsroom, she enjoys reading fiction and nonfiction. She is also very interested in watching Bollywood movies.Read more
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