Students, lawyers, and activists were detained during Kashmir solidarity marches in Lahore and other cities. Human rights groups are calling for the protesters' release and an independent inquiry. For the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, repressing dissent undermines democracy.
The mobilisation led by the Cockroach Janta Party has forced the Modi government to make its first concessions. For Jesuit and activist Father Cedric Prakash, the Education minister's resignation represents just "the tip of the iceberg" of a protest movement bound to have an impact on national politics.
He tendered his resignation to Modi following demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party over irregularities in public examinations. The news comes the day after talks between the CJP and the government. Party leader Abhijeet Dipke said: “This is just the beginning”. Bishop Savio Fernandes tells AsiaNews: “A victory for the people of India”.
Following police violence against Cockroach Janta Party protesters, the auxiliary bishop of Bombay calls for an independent inquiry and accountability from the Narendra Modi-led government. For him, “democracies are not weakened by peaceful dissent.”
The movement born on social media after the public exam scandal continues to bring thousands of young people to the streets despite clashes with the police. Calls for reform of a system perceived as increasingly less meritocratic and the support of various figures now mark a new phase of protest.
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