Paintbrushes, pop culture and protest: Jantar Mantar turns canvas of dissent
Wielding paintbrushes as they turned everyday images and objects into biting satire, the protesting students at the Jantar Mantar have channelled their creativity into their agitation against alleged paper leaks, transforming the venue into an open-air gallery where art has become a language of dissent.
In the backdrop of fervent speeches and sloganeering, hand-drawn illustrations, quirky costumes, poetic placards, caricatures, cartoons and even memes lie strewn around the venue as a generation turns to creativity to amplify its demands.
One of the most striking displays was a sanitary napkin carrying the handwritten message, “...even this pad doesn’t leak,” in a satirical reference to the alleged examination paper leaks.
Nearby stood a recreation of the iconic “three wise monkeys” — one covering the eyes with a bandage, another putting a lock over its mouth, while the third pours oil into its ears.
The captions read, “Patti chot pe lagao, aankho pe nahi (Bandage wound, not the eyes)”, “Taala darwaze pe lagao, muh pe nahi (Lock doors, not the mouth)” and “Tel kaano me nahi, baalo me daalo (Put oil on your hair, not in your ears),” urging authorities not to ignore, suppress or remain deaf to students’ concerns. History and revolution too found expression through art.
Hand-painted portraits of Dr BR Ambedkar were displayed alongside posters of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara. Floral designs dotted the protest venue, while the artworks — most of them fashioned out of mundane objects, with defiant strokes of paint and sketch pen on recycled paper — added a distinctive youthful vibrancy.
Historical figures came alive through cosplay. Several participants came dressed as Mahatma Gandhi, with one of the portrayals featuring blood-like tears streaming from Gandhi’s eyes.
Bollywood dialogues and popular culture featured prominently in placards. One adapted a well-known dialogue from Rogit Shetty’s ‘Golmaal 3’ to read, “Jaldi resignation do, subah Panvel jana hai (Resign quickly, got to leave for Panvel tomorrow),” while another borrowed the title “Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar” to caption the caricatures of two political leader.
Another poster depicted a map of India like a biscuit being dipped into a cup of tea. “I wanted to show how the country is being treated. It took me two days to complete this poster. I carried it during Monday’s march and have brought it here again today because I want more people to see the message,” Hardik, a protester, said.
Pointing to a scarf featuring the Strawhat Pirate skull from the popular Japanese manga and anime series “One Piece”, protester Shivangi said, “This is a warning sign. It’s our way of saying that something is seriously wrong and cannot be ignored.”