Urdu Press Hails Youth Protests as Democratic Triumph, Demands Exam Reforms

Over the past week, the Urdu press in India has extensively covered the ongoing student protests, describing the Gen Z-led movement as historic both online and offline. Following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, newspapers shifted focus to the government's anti-paper leaks amendment Bill and other measures, while continuing to highlight youth demands for accountability regarding police action against protesters.

The Lucknow-based daily Aag, in its July 26 editorial, described the student agitation as a landmark in India's political and democratic history. It said the protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) at Delhi's Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak, forced the Narendra Modi government to concede, underlining the supremacy of people's power in a democracy. “The youth stir did not merely ensure the exit of a minister, but also marked a stellar success of our democracy, the principle of accountability and the constitutional right to peaceful protest,” the editorial stated.

The editorial quoted CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke addressing jubilant protesters: “They said there could not be any resignation in this government. The world bows down, and one who makes it bow is needed.” Dipke also urged supporters not to make him a hero over Pradhan's resignation, stressing that “the country has been ruined because one person has been made a hero.”

Aag noted that the youth agitation for reforms in the education and examination system drew international attention. Human rights organisations expressed concern over the Delhi police's lathi-charge and tear gas shelling against protesters during a march on Parliament on July 20. “Even the United Nations voiced its concern, stating that it is incumbent on security forces to ensure the right of people to protest peacefully without the fears of harassment, arrest or injury,” the editorial said.

The daily observed that the Jantar Mantar protest had reilluminated the dynamism and flexibility of Indian democracy. “A government perceived to be tough and uncompromising was pushed by a fledgling youth platform, floated originally as an online satirical collective, to fire one of its senior ministers. This indicates that public pressure still works on policymakers. After the 2020-21 farmer agitation, the youth protest marked the second time when the Modi government was forced to retreat. This establishes that the fundamental principles of India’s Constitution and the concept of public accountability still endure.”

However, Aag cautioned that the education minister’s resignation alone would not fix structural deficiencies in the examination system. “More challenging would be to revamp the National Testing Agency (NTA), take on the exam mafia, implement a more stringent law against paper leaks, and ensure transparency so that the trust of our young could be restored.”

The Hyderabad-based daily Siasat, in its July 26 editorial, commented on the “stunning success” of the student protest. It said that when the CJP-led protesters began their sit-in at Jantar Mantar on June 20, few believed it would escalate to a scale that would put the Modi government on the back foot for the first time in 12 years. “Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had also launched his outreach to students from Kota to bring their concerns under a national spotlight. Rahul’s ‘Chhatron ki goonj’ initiative amplified the student voices,” the editorial noted.

Siasat added: “The mainstream media initially turned a blind eye to both the Jantar Mantar agitation as well as the LoP’s campaign in the same way the government has ignored the Opposition. The government turned its back on the youth stir for one month, claiming that CJP was a fake organisation. But the youths persisted, and their peaceful protest eventually yielded results.”

The Urdu press coverage underscores the significance of the protest as a demonstration of constitutional rights and democratic accountability. Both editorials call for systemic reforms to prevent future examination irregularities and to uphold the trust of the youth in the system.