How government scrambled in 24 hours to douse student anger

With student anger refusing to die down, the Modi government opened talks with CJP leaders and announced fast-track courts. The outreach came as the speed and scale of the unrest caught the government off guard.

In Short

• Govt takes series of steps in 24 hours in a bid to pacify student protesters
• Sets up fast-track courts to ensure punishment for paper leak accused
• PM Modi puts out midnight selfie video to reach out to the youth

Within a span of just 30 days, what started as a protest by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) over exam paper leaks quickly snowballed into an agitation against the education system as a whole. Throughout, the government maintained a studied silence. The crackdown on student protesters during their march to Parliament only gave the agitation fresh impetus, spilling over to other metros. The speed and scale of the unrest caught the government off guard. It sparked a 24-hour scramble on Thursday to douse the student anger.

Over the week, the opposition took the accountability battle all the way to the Prime Minister himself. The unprecedented sit-in outside PM Narendra Modi's residence only added to the pressure. On Thursday, it was the Prime Minister who led the outreach to the protesting students. In an early-morning post, PM Modi announced that the government would set up fast-track courts to ensure strict punishment for those involved in paper leaks.

"Nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth," PM Modi tweeted. However, there was no mention of the CJP protests or its allegation of police brutality during the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' march. Neither was there any word on Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as well.

Within hours, the Delhi High Court designated a special fast-track court to exclusively try offences related to paper leaks. Later, PM Modi, in a video message, said government departments worked "tirelessly throughout the night" to ready a draft on fast-track courts. It showed the government's seriousness.

HOW GOVT MOVED TO DEFUSE STUDENT ANGER

But it did little to quell the anger at Jantar Mantar. The Cockroach Party reiterated that their first demand remained the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan.

Meanwhile, the protest site continued to witness a steady stream of new arrivals. The protest had turned organic, drawing in people from all strata and age groups who came of their own volition, not on rented buses. Most were students and young jobseekers, cutting across religious lines.

For the government, the stakes went beyond politics. The protests had started affecting normal life in the heart of Delhi, which houses several offices. Throughout the week, several metro stations (17 to be precise) were shut due to security concerns. It affected thousands of commuters for whom the metro is the lifeline.

As the protests swelled, the government's top ministers went into a huddle. Rarely has the Modi government seen such a broad-based movement that is vastly different from the farmers' protest or the anti-CAA agitation.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health Minister JP Nadda and MoS in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh held a high-level meeting that lasted for nearly four hours.

It was decided in the meeting that the government would take a positive approach towards the demands raised by activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for the past 25 days demanding educational reforms. It was also decided that the government would engage with the CJP delegation for talks on Friday.

The government wanted to be seen as responsive rather than confrontational. Time was running out as the CJP, bolstered by the solidarity protests in other states, called for a nationwide agitation on Friday.

OUTREACH TO STUDENTS

In the afternoon, Jitendra Singh, in a video message, reached out to the student protesters. In a video message, Singh invited the CJP leaders for talks at their "convenience" and at "any time". The Union Minister underlined that the government had sent four proposals to "our youth friends" for dialogue in the last 24 hours.

But the location of the talks became a sticking point. The government wanted talks to be held either at Union Health Minister JP Nadda's residence or office. However, the CJP made it clear that it would hold talks only at a neutral venue or at Jantar Mantar.

Late at night, the government announced that talks with the CJP leaders would be held at the Constitution Club.

As the back-and-forth continued, the government ordered a major bureaucratic rejig in the Education Ministry. Two months since the NEET-UG paper leak fiasco, the government shunted out education secretary Vineet Joshi.

SONAM WANGCHUK BREAKS FAST

It was not all. Wangchuk's health was deteriorating. He lost 11 kgs. Nadda and Singh were dispatched to the Gurugram hospital where he was admitted. The ministers assured that no punitive action would be taken against the student protesters and steps would be taken to plug paper leaks. These were part of Wangchuk's revised list of demands.

Shortly after midnight, Wangchuk ended his fast. Visuals of the Ladakhi activist being fed juice by the ministers to end his hunger strike splashed across TV screens.

"This was done after long negotiations on various conditions and in view of possible violence in the country," Wangchuk tweeted.

As the news broke, PM Modi uploaded a selfie video around midnight, saying stricter actions against paper leaks would follow.

PM MODI'S MIDNIGHT VIDEO MESSAGE

Rarely have we seen the Prime Minister addressing an issue twice in a span of a day. It showed the urgency and the government's seriousness in pacifying the student anger.

The video was in vertical format, under three minutes - perfect for a reel. It was tailor-made for Instagram to reach the protesting students and youth directly. Though it was late, it suggested a masterclass in messaging.

"I know paper leak is not an ordinary issue. It is very painful for lakhs of students and their guardians," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also revealed that a bill containing provisions for strong action against paper leaks would be introduced in Parliament next week. The bill, which is likely to amend the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, is likely to impose a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 1 crore.

Now, by introducing the bill, the government is likely to kill two birds with one stone - blunt the opposition's attack, and get Parliament proceedings back on track after it was whitewashed this week.

The back-to-back developments in 24 hours all indicate a government trying to catch up after being caught off guard by the speed and scale of the student-led unrest. Will the damage-control measures work and calm tempers? It remains to be seen.

- Ends