Songs, seva and self-discipline: Inside the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar after dark

As one walks towards the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest site at Jantar Mantar, the atmosphere is marked not only by slogans demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation but also by the sound of guitars, patriotic songs and performances of resistance.

On a humid Thursday night, groups of students waiting to enter the main protest venue gathered in circles, singing together. One student pulled out a guitar and began playing “Aarambh Hai Prachand Hai”, while another group nearby broke into “Sabse Aage Honge Hindustani”, with many joining in.

The musical gatherings have become a regular feature of the month-long protest. Beyond speeches from the stage and sloganeering, protesters have increasingly turned to music and art as a way of expressing their opposition to the alleged paper leak controversy.

“This may not look like a conventional protest to many, but this is our way of showing that we are peaceful and only demand accountability,” said a protester who has been visiting the site for the past few days.

The emphasis on discipline extends beyond performances. Volunteers have organised the continuous distribution of drinking water and snacks while ensuring the protest site remains clean.

Dustbins have been placed at regular intervals across the venue, and around 9 pm on Thursday, groups of protesters formed human chains around areas that needed cleaning. Wearing gloves, masks and carrying brooms, volunteers swept the site and collected waste before allowing people to move through the area again.

Despite the heavy security deployment across Jantar Mantar and adjoining stretches, the atmosphere remained peaceful on Thursday night.

Protesters largely cooperated with police personnel and volunteers managing the crowds, with no visible signs of tension as people queued patiently to enter the main protest site, attended cultural performances and participated in the movement’s activities.

Crowd management, too, has largely been handled by volunteers. Members of the Nirankari Sikh community, who have joined the CJP movement, were seen assisting CJP volunteers along Tolstoy Marg, where the protest has expanded. Forming human chains and using loudspeakers, they guided people entering and leaving the venue while also distributing food and water to both protesters and security personnel as part of seva.

Although a video circulating on social media had claimed there was a scuffle between some protesters and the Nirankari volunteers, the situation appeared calm on Thursday night, with volunteers continuing to coordinate movement and relief efforts. As crowds continued to swell at Jantar Mantar, the protesters’ principal demand remained unchanged: the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The demonstrations continued even as activist Sonam Wangchuk ended his 26-day hunger strike late Thursday night in the presence of BJP Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh.