‘It is a people’s issue, so we must speak out’

“When we are students, we are exposed to people from different backgrounds. We study beside them every day. So, when such issues arise that affect our friends, we must stand up and protest. Besides, this goes beyond just school or college – this is a people’s issue, and so we must speak out,” said Hemanth*, a student who had participated in the 2017 jallikattu protests.

According to Sembiyan, who had organised the hunger strike at Loyola College in 2013 during the anti-Sri Lanka protests, students are not supposed to be bound just to their textbooks. “We learned about the fight Gandhi, Ambedkar and others put up during the freedom struggle. We were told how it moulded the nation. And yet, people say that we students must only study and not use our education out in the world,” he said. The current protests are a good thing, Sembiyan added, as this meant that the student community is able to critically look at and analyse the actions of those in positions of power. Voicing dissent is key to letting leaders know one’s displeasure, he said.

On reports that the protests are turning violent by the day, both the sources said that student protests always start out peacefully. “Students do not protest so that they can be violent. They have family and friends too, and do not want them to be worried for them,” Sembiyan said.

The support of students is very important, irrespective of what act they were involved in. “There were people who didn’t want to protest but ensured that those who were, had eaten. They had reasons for not marching beside us, but they still lent a hand and that is very important,” Hemanth said.

Sembiyan recalled that during the protest, there had been many who had abstained from opining on the issue entirely. “When the fishermen protest, the farmers do not help them. When the farmers protest, the fishermen do not help them. This is the case everywhere. Once people realise that we must share our problems and help each other, we can move towards social change,” he said.

(* name changed to protect privacy)