A student from India, who went on a 23-day hunger strike during recent protests, has criticized Indian media for labeling protesters as “Pakistani agents.” Neha Bora, one of thousands who demonstrated at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, explained that such accusations are a tactic to suppress dissent. She recalled that similar claims had been made against people in illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). Bora pointed out that the world remained silent on the violence in Kashmir, and now those same issues have come to Delhi’s Connaught Place.
She stated, “Today, when students are protesting for their rights, they are being called ‘Pakistani agents.’” She added, “People now realize these previous accusations were false.” Bora’s comments came after the young protesters ended their demonstration following the resignation of the education minister and a government commitment to address their demands. Among the protesters’ other goals were compensation for those impacted by exam irregularities and the dropping of legal cases against participants.
Following these events, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a task force led by tech entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani to reform India’s exam system, addressing concerns over paper leaks. Modi emphasized on Instagram that the new system should be trustworthy and transparent, with maximum use of technology, and that legislation to prevent paper leaks would be introduced in parliament on Monday.