Tarika Balakannan, Shanmughasundaram JChennai: Six days into the 24-hour sit-in at Balan Illam, an organiser grabbed the mic to announce the Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation. Her own voice, roughened by continuous sloganeering, carried the news.The protesters burst into hoots and chanted “Inquilab Zindabad,” meaning long live the revolution. The slogan has grown more popular since June 6, the start of the protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, where thousands of youngsters and Gen Z found creative ways to protest.When the state education minister, A Rajmohan, walked in, there was chaos as protesters yelled, “We want Marina,” demanding that it be opened for peaceful protests.On Saturday, around 2.30 pm, more than hundred protesters broke into parai beats. They sang Ilaiyaraaja’s “Poradada” from the 1985 film Alai Osai — a song that had become an anthem long before Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) even arrived. The protesters sang it again and again. After at least half an hour of singing and dancing, they settled back on the floor of the CPI office.It was after the Sansad Chalo March to the Parliament on July 20 — 44 days since the protest began — that the protests spread nationwide. In Chennai too, students and youngsters took to the uncomfortable path of sitting and standing long hours at Balan Illam.. the state CPI headquarters.Initially, not more than 20 CJP’s TN wing and the All India Students’ Federation set up banners, rolled out a red carpet and sat on the floor at the entrance of the office as an indefinite sit-in. By Wednesday, the venue turned stormy with hundreds of youth. By Thursday, a map had been plastered on the wall to guide protesters to the washrooms, drinking water and snacks. Unable to accommodate the growing number of protesters, two LED screens were set up on Friday evening at the backside of the campus so that those who could not see the main gathering could follow it on the screen.“This is just the beginning,” said Karthick E, a protester. “This does not mean accountability. After more than a month’s struggle, the minister has resigned,” he said. “We shouldn’t forget everything and go back to our work. We must remember, even two years later,” he added.As the crowd grew, multiple attempts were made to lend a political colour to the protest. Several political party members from DMK, Congress and other parties stopped by. DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi participated on Saturday morning, calling it a “righteous protest” that reflected the State’s sentiment.In fact, it was even as M Veerapandian, CPI state secretary, was addressing the concerns raised by people who are trying to put a party ideology, that the news of the resignation came.Taking a dig at TVK supporters, Chidambaram MLA Thamimun Ansari said the students protesting at Balan Illam were “the ray of hope” for Tamil Nadu, while “a section of people is busy performing poojas for a film star’s posters.”Among the protesters, the line was clear when a speaker tried to make it political. “It is a lovely moment that we are having. If they politicise it, it will be ruined,” said a protester, Nilesh M.MMK president M H Jawahirullah said, “the autocratic Centre has undermined democracy all these years. For the first time, it has tasted fear. If the chief minister is sincere in opposing NEET, let the Marina Beach be opened for the students. They will show the world that they will not sleep until NEET is thrown into the dustbin of history.”Protesters did not spare Vijay as well. “He is not an actor now. He is the chief minister. When he doesn’t say anything, it feels like he is not with us,” said Srinidhi S. “We need reform. The Union govt should scrap NEET as a next step,” she said, adding: “They heavily underestimated Gen Z. We don’t tolerate.”Zakwarn M, a techie, said: “Now Pradhan is gone. They will put someone else. But that someone must be an educated minister. Someone who understands and hears students’ voices.”Amid the chaos, the protest did not seem to come to an end. The crowd kept growing. The once red walls of the CPI office were plastered with posters made by the protesters. The campus was still filled with opinions, arguments, and talk of what’s next.
