While the student mobilization of the JP movement was like an ocean in its form and effect, the Jantar Mantar movement resembles a river in its content, form, and impact.
The 1960s are usually remembered in global history as a decade of protest movements, especially student movements. All of Europe and other parts of France and the world experienced youth anger around demands for various kinds of freedom related to youth life. France emerged as the epicentre of such movements.
Post-Independence India also experienced a series of student movements in various parts of the country. In post-Independence India, student movements were mostly facilitated either by student unions of universities and colleges or by youth and student wings related to various political parties. Many important leaders of various political parties—like Chandrashekhar, Narayan Datt Tiwari, Ramdhan, Dharmendra Pradhan, Prakash Karat, Sitaram Yechury, Lalu Yadav, and Ram Vilas Paswan— emerged from these student movements.
Most of these student movements that emerged before the pre-Emergency era were centred on local, university, or college-related issues, or evolved around various national-level issues raised by the political parties with which they were affiliated. These were broadly called student or youth movements.
The 1970s in India are known for the decade of the largest student movement, inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan’s Sampoorn Kranti (Total Revolution). This movement was focused against the dictatorial regime of Indira Gandhi and opposed the Emergency.
I was a school-going student at the time. I have deep memories in my mind of that student uprising, especially in the northern part of the country. I termed it a phase of student renaissance against the dictatorial governance of Indira Gandhi. Gandhi Maidan in Patna emerged as the epicentre of this anti-Emergency student renaissance, following earlier anti-colonial student assertions in India.
Songs and slogans like “Jay Prakash ka bigul baja hai, jag uthi Tarunai hai” were popularly heard on the streets. The Congress party and the Prime Minister of India at the time failed to engage with the students and address their anger, so it turned into conflict and violence against the indicators and markers of the state.
This student movement contributed to changing the Central government. The Congress party was replaced by the Janata Party through parliamentary elections, and Indira Gandhi was replaced by Morarji Desai.
I remember in public discourses at that time, the question was frequently asked: what is the outcome of such a big Sampoorn Kranti movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan and the student movement inspired by it? The answer was—a government change, not a system change.
A few leaders who emerged from this movement entered the ministry, like Chandrashekhar and Ramdhan, while others emerged as prominent leaders like Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar, who became ministers and chief ministers in their long political careers.
History repeats itself. The Jantar Mantar movement— popularly known as the Gen Z movement—is almost over. The movement is losing momentum, with its sporadic effects seen here and there. However, it successfully inspired other local student and youth movements.
Now, the same question is being asked: what is the outcome of this movement? Some would answer—a few viral posts, reels, a few youth leaders, and the resignation of then-education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The most positive impact of this movement is that it put our system on alert regarding the sanctity of examination processes for various competitive exams organized by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and various service commissions located in the states.
The aspirations and questions raised by Gen Z are being addressed positively by various state governments and the central administration. More importantly, society and the system have understood the importance of listening and responding to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
From a societal point of view, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat emphasized the need to interact with the emerging Gen Z and Gen Alpha mindsets shaped by the impact of social media and aggressive modern influences on young minds. It also alerts us to evolve a family system in which healthy interaction among family members can grow.
Cyberspace has created unlimited, isolated cybercabins within a single home where family members live separated lives. To understand this crisis, the Sangh launched a campaign named Kutumb Prabodhan, which focuses on deep, sensitive engagement among various generations within the family.
At the governance level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused his engagement with this Gen Z-Alpha mindset. He usually interacts with the youth and women in his Mann Ki Baat communication series and in various political rallies.
But this time, he tried to explore another chord in his interactive relationship with Gen Z and Gen Alpha by calling them “Dear friends.” He started addressing them through Instagram posts and YouTube Shorts, while trying to understand and address their unaddressed emotions and requirements.
He emphasized improvements in the administrative system of education and examination methods. A high-powered committee for examination system reform under the chairmanship of Nandan Nilekani was set up, and a process of systemic reform in the National Testing Agency is underway.
The Ministry of Education is working to make the NTA more effective in India. Examination boards like the CBSE have also learned lessons from these events and are working hard to improve their systems.
So, in one way, this helps make us administratively more effective, but the question still remains: does this movement have the capacity to bring about intrinsic and qualitative change in our society?
One of the eminent educationists in this country answered this question by noting that these are transitory tides in the realm of democracy that make it stronger, but these tides are not going to drastically alter the form and content of democracy in India.
Despite new forms of movement, leadership, and politics, this student upsurge is likely to see a result similar to the JP-led student movement in India. However, while the student mobilization of the JP movement was like an ocean in its form and effect, the Jantar Mantar movement resembles a river in its content, form, and impact.
All these rivers and their tides will eventually submerge in the ocean of Indian democracy, leaving behind their own specific changes and impacts.
