A constant flow of food delivery riders bringing meals, snacks, and bottled water has become essential to supporting a youth-led protest movement centered in India’s capital. Motorcycles navigate through traffic, stopping alongside groups of volunteers who are delivering donations from supporters both within India and abroad, all unable to physically join the rare public protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
“Orders are coming from everywhere,” said Suraj Kumar, 25, a rider with a bag of kachoris — a popular deep-fried snack — as volunteers climbed over police barricades to collect the packages. A volunteer received the food and handed it over in a relay to the protest site about a few hundred meters away, around Delhi’s Jantar Mantar observatory, where hundreds of protesters gathered around an elevated platform.
Leaders of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that started as an online satire in May, have been demonstrating here since last month, demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan due to ongoing exam paper leaks. The protest gained significant momentum in recent days after a prominent activist began an indefinite hunger strike in support.
Despite a significant police crackdown on Monday when tens of thousands of young people attempted to march on Parliament, the encampment persists. Young Indians under 30 make up more than half of the country’s population of approximately 1.42 billion, many of whom have expressed frustration that years of economic growth have not translated into enough job opportunities.
“People are angry, especially after police started beating innocent students. But not everyone can be here physically, so they’re sending food,” explained Raj Rathore, 25, a volunteer who has been managing deliveries of water bottles, fruit, and biscuits over the past few days. These contributions and volunteer support networks have been crucial in sustaining the protest around the clock, students indicated.
“This protest is only possible because of people’s kindness and our unity,” said Rina Rawat, a 20-year-old Delhi University student organizing queues inside the protest site. Rawat herself was hit on the left leg with police batons on Monday but returned the next day to continue her participation.
Modi has not directly addressed the protests, although a coalition minister mentioned after a recent meeting that the Prime Minister assured them that the “strongest possible steps are being taken to protect students’ interests.” Education Minister Pradhan also promised “answers, reforms, and accountability.”
By late Wednesday afternoon, despite intermittent monsoon showers, the protest crowd had swelled to about 5,000, mostly Generation Z students holding signs, playing patriotic Bollywood songs, and chanting slogans. One protester shouted, “Modi, we won’t tolerate your autocracy,” drawing cheers — an unusual display of open criticism against a leader who has dominated Indian politics since 2014.
Mukesh, who chose not to disclose his last name, shared, “I was a Modi supporter until 10 days ago, but seeing police brutality shocked me.” Many of the young demonstrators drew inspiration from India’s fight for independence, carrying portraits of revolutionary Bhagat Singh, copies of the Constitution, and handing out roses. Several donned Spider-Man masks and called themselves “baddies,” emphasizing their defiant spirit.
Nearby, 19-year-old Arpita Verma remarked, “There’s been too much Hindu-Muslim politics in India,” referencing the increasing religious polarization under Modi’s party, which is mainly supported by the Hindu majority. She added, “But here, we are united by a common cause — and we’re not afraid.”