The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is set to return to the streets of Delhi on September 5, announcing a peaceful march over what it says are promises made to young protesters that remain unfulfilled.
The march, planned for Teachers’ Day, will begin at India Gate and head towards the Delhi Police Headquarters. The CJP has appealed to students, youth organisations and young citizens to join the demonstration in large numbers.
The announcement comes exactly a month after the group called off its 36-day protest at Jantar Mantar. The earlier agitation, which began on June 20, focused on alleged examination irregularities and the NEET paper leak. What started in Delhi eventually drew support from young people in other parts of the country.
The CJP said its decision to announce another protest followed a review by its National Working Committee on Monday. The meeting examined whether the commitments made by the government on July 25, which helped end the earlier agitation, had been implemented.
According to the group, several important issues remain unresolved. These include action on cases registered against protesters, compensation for families of NEET aspirants who died by suicide and a written assurance concerning the government’s commitments.
The question of FIRs has emerged as one of the key points of contention. The CJP has alleged that cases registered against protesters across the country have not been dealt with as expected. It also claimed that the government had not provided a clear commitment on quashing such cases and that a promised written assurance was still pending.
The CJP has also kept the families of NEET aspirants at the centre of its renewed campaign. It said the September 5 march would be led by families of students who died by suicide following the NEET controversy, along with people who were allegedly affected by police action during the July protests.
The group’s renewed agitation follows a dramatic turn of events during its earlier protest. On July 20, a CJP-led march towards Parliament became chaotic after police action against protesters. Scores of protesters were reportedly injured, while several police personnel were also injured in clashes.
Five days later, on July 25, the CJP called off its agitation after then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to several of the group’s demands. The resignation had been one of the central demands raised during the protest.
At the time, the decision to end the agitation was seen as an attempt to give the government an opportunity to implement the commitments reached during the talks. The CJP now says that the delay in acting on those assurances has left young protesters with little choice but to return to the streets.
The group has accused the government of relying on technicalities and delaying action instead of giving clear assurances. It has also questioned whether the commitments made to protesters will actually be honoured.
The issue is no longer limited to the original NEET controversy for CJP. The group’s demands have widened to include accountability, treatment of protesters, police action and the government’s responsibility to follow through on assurances made during negotiations.
However, the proposed march has not yet received official permission. Delhi Police said on Monday that it had not received a request from the CJP for a march from India Gate to the Delhi Police Headquarters. Police sources said that if an application is received, it will be examined according to the applicable rules.
That means the route and arrangements for the September 5 protest could still depend on discussions with the Delhi authorities.
The choice of Teachers’ Day is also significant. By scheduling the demonstration on a day associated with education and teachers, the CJP is once again putting student concerns and the examination system at the heart of its campaign.
The organisation’s latest call is likely to bring renewed attention to the wider debate over NEET, examination transparency and the handling of student protests. It also puts pressure on the government to clarify the status of the commitments that helped bring the earlier agitation to an end.
Whether the demonstration goes ahead on the proposed route will depend on the Delhi Police’s response to any permission request. But with the CJP already appealing for a large youth turnout, the issue of pending promises to students is once again set to occupy the political spotlight in the capital.
