On the eve of the golden jubilee of the Republic of India and on January 25, 2000 the then president of India in his address to the nation had cautioned that people subjected to long spell of suffering and agony on account of failure of governance would rise in revolt. He very sharply remarked, “Our three-way fast-lane of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation must provide safe pedestrian crossings for the unempowered India also so that it too can move towards ‘Equality of Status and Opportunity’.” Further, he added, “‘Beware of the fury of the patient man,’ says the old adage. One could say, ‘Beware of the fury of the patient and long-suffering people.’”Jana Gana in the forefrontTwenty six years later on July 20, 2026, Delhi witnessed “the fury of the patient and long-suffering people” and of the unempowered when spontaneously about a lakh people gathered in Delhi in response to a call issued by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) to march to the parliament demanding resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the issue of recurrent leak of exam questions papers and lethal breakdown of education for youth.Such huge mobilisation of people, driven by their own compelling convictions, following Sonam Wangchuk’s forcible removal from Jantar Mantar, where he was on an indefinite fast demanding, among other things, Pradhan’s resignation and reforms in education, stunned the nation and shook the very foundations of the Modi regime.Also read: New Delhi’s Day of Violence Was Also One of Courage and HopePeople poured in Jantar Mantar and around parliament extemporaneously at their own cost to protest for safeguarding the integrity of examination system and education in complete disregard of Modi regime’s track record of ridiculing protestors as Andolonojeevis (those earning livelihood through protests) and suppressing any agitation and dissent by employing draconian laws and extremely coercive methods. The unprecedented mass movement enlisting people and youth professing diverse faiths, speaking a variety of languages and from many states of India represented what Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore poetically put in our national anthem as “Jana-gana-mana” and described them as “adhi Nayak” (ruler) shaping India’s destiny.In its 12 years in power, the Modi regime has used the Indian state in an increasingly coercive manner. The jana gan (people), for instance, confronted fear and extreme levels of hatred deliberately generated by the BJP and its leaders, who sought to divide people along religious lines while relentlessly trampling upon the constitution.The manner in which a vast multitude of people poured in the national capital to safeguard the future of education and more importantly of the youth flattened that fear and the agenda of communal polarisation aimed to benefit BJP electorally.The slogan, Jai Bhim, raised by the jana gan and specially the youth and the pictures of Gandhi and Ambedkar they carried while protesting affirmed the unity of people and their solidarity based on the vision of Gandhi, the father of our nation and Ambedkar, the principal architect of the constitution.Also read: Seven Images that Capture an Extraordinary Protest in New DelhiPradhan, who made the unacceptable remark that those protesting at Jantar Mantar are B Team of subversive elements, could never have imagined that the swelling crowd of youth anchored in the vision of Gandhi and Ambedkar would uphold the idea of India and never be deterred by brutal lathi charge and firing of tear gas shells to intimidate the protestors.A placard with the words, “Marenge Wo Sab Jo Chup Rahenge,” (Those who remain silent would die) underlined the point that dissent suppressed through the fear of the rulers would cause death to people. Those words banished fear from the hearts of people who were fear stricken by punitive measures of the Modi regime. The Wire’s founding editor M.K. Venu wrote in X, “The protests in Delhi achieved a scale & organicity which the Anna movement never saw. This gathering was unique in the sense that mostly both the students & parents participated. And yes the swelling crowds forced Parliament to shut its doors. Fear suddenly went in reverse gear.”The protests in Delhi achieved a scale & organicity which the Anna movement never saw. This gathering was unique in the sense mostly both the students & parents participated. And yes the swelling crowds forced Parliament to shut its doors. Fear suddenly went in reverse gear.— M K Venu (@mkvenu1) July 21, 2026Rahul Gandhi on removal of fearDuring Bharat Jodo Yatra, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi repeatedly stressed on two words, “Daro Mat”(Don’t be Scared of) to remove fear from the minds of people who are now representing that ideal and getting it actuated in the protest march in Delhi. That is why Rahul Gandhi in the wake of police using lathi charge and tear gas on protestors to make them more fearful of the security forces said in a video message that Modi is the first prime minister of India who is so intensely against the youth who are demanding a fair examination system and quality education.It is quite possible that the spontaneous movement of jana gan might cause terminal decline of Modi regime which though this movement is confronting the pent up anger, anguish and disaffection of people who have been subjected to a highly divisive misrule for the last twelve years.Gandhi on duty of resistanceThe crisis facing young people, caused by examination paper leaks and the calamitous state of education, has gravely endangered their future.In this context, it is worthwhile to recall a similar dreadful situation faced by youth of a college in Gujarat in 1929 when they went on strike after being victimised by the authorities of that college for being absent in response to the call of “Simon Go Back” movement during the freedom struggle. The students were guided by Mavlankar who negotiated with the principal that those students would be allowed to take the examination on payment of Rs 3 and those who could not appear in exams would not be punished. But the principal broke the pledge and imposed the fine of Rs 3 on all students to take the exam. It made the students angry and they went on a strike.Also read: Beauty is in the Street: Echoes of May 1968 France Student Movement in CJP’s March to ParliamentMahatma Gandhi wrote a piece “Duty of Resistance” in Young India on January 24, 1929 in defence of the strike by students and earlier on January 10, 1929 he had reflected on the same by addressing the students saying, “You are at present in the midst of a crisis. A struggle should always bring joy.”He described the stand of the students as just. Further, he referred to the remarks of the principal that the foundation of the British Empire would be shaken by that strike. Gandhi then hoped that the fears of the principal would come true.The “Duty of Resistance” which Gandhi flagged in the context of the strike of students in a college in Gujarat eventually became the central theme of freedom struggle which heralded independence for India.Second freedom struggleSonam Wangchuk wrote in his X account that the march to the parliament on July 20 would be India’s second freedom movement. Freedom from injustice (like paper leaks). Freedom from fear. Wangchuk’s words are evocative of Gandhi justifying the Duty of Resistance. The students at Jantar Mantar have escalated their demand from Pradhan’s resignation to Prime Minister Modi’s resignation. Eventually the will of jana gan as adhinayak would prevail and defeat the oppression, resulting in liberation of India from electoral autocracy.S.N. Sahu served as Officer on Special Duty to President of India K.R. Narayanan.