Vandana

Learner, listener, closet dancer, part time Bihari cuisine curator. Currently, content and comms at Gupshup /Past: The Ken, The Week, Business Std

[Vandana @vandanav18]

Every visual, every desperate call for oxygen, every crematorium scene racks me up from within. I lost my mother to Covid-19, six months ago under similar circumstances. Seeing all of it play out again brings alive that fatal night we went through in September.

[Vandana @vandanav18]

@PySamarth Really enjoyed reading it @PySamarth . Thank you for giving us a peek into your friendship.

[Maheshwer Peri @maheshperi]

Jantar Mantar protests did a world of good to India and Indians. It empowered students across states. It focussed on education as a need, a demand and a right that should be fought for. Indian students are done waiting. A wave of protests have hit UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra & Jharkhand etc.

In Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, about 1,500 students, Classes 6-12, staged a 6-hour sit-in at Sarvodaya Inter College. No fans, no library, no computer lab, unsafe drinking water, broken desks. Officials came calling within a day.

In Gays, Bihar, A government school with a broken hand pump, dead fans, shattered benches. Students protested and refused to speak to a junior official. They demanded the District Magistrate himself show up. He did.

In Jalore, Rajasthan, students locked the gates themselves, demanding teachers for grades 1-3 that simply weren’t there.

In Barmer’s Ramsar school, same story. Kids literally not being taught subjects due to staff shortages.

Across MP, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Similar walkouts reported. Same core demands echoing across states: functional fans, clean water, hygienic toilets, teachers actually in the classroom.

What Jantar Mantar protests achieved is exceptional. India is discussing education, faculty shortages, unfairness, paper leaks, lack of school infrastructure. None of these demands are unreasonable and the minimum a public school owes a child. The fact it took a viral sit in to get it fixed is the real story.

I only wish this continues. We should continue to bring student issues to the forefront. Empower them with coverage, conversations. This can’t be allowed to fade as a one week news cycle. Keep asking. Keep covering. About vacant teacher posts in your district? What happened to the school infrastructure budget? Tag your local officials.

Don’t let this fade.

Please don’t let it fade.

[Soni Mishra @SoniMishra20]

Spoke to ABC News -- The World on the Modi government's damage control exercise in the wake of Gen Z protests and whether it is enough to quell the youth discontent.
https://t.co/KVQ5FkkKuK

[Nagendar Sharma @sharmanagendar]

At the peak of Nirbhaya protests in December 2012, then Chief Justice of India late Altamas Kabir and a sitting Supreme Court lady judge Gyan Sudha Misra had given rare public statements condemning the use of force against protestors and had supported the youth who had come out to register their anguish.
Late Justice Kabir had gone to the extent of saying that he wanted to join the protests, but his position prevented him from doing so.
Justice Misra had said she was breaking the judges self-imposed code of silence since rare situations demanded extraordinary responses.
Compare it to the current students agitation, not only has the Judiciary lowered its esteem in the eyes of the country's citizens by its judicial actions, but public utterances of lordships are irreparably damaging the institution.

[Urvish Kothari ~ उर्वीश कोठारी @urvish2020]

Isn’t it settled after the Nuremberg Trials that ‘just carrying out orders’ or ‘doing my job’ is neither a valid excuse or nor defense for those inflicting atrocities and peddling dangerous lies?
It also applies to Godi Media reporters.

[Vandana @vandanav18]

According to bjp, Rahul Gandhi not keeping his word is unfortunate. But what about zillions of promises this govt makes and forgets after every election- from kaala dhan to trillion dollar economy and what not. Practice what you preach bro!

[The Wire @thewire_in]

Government concedes after Rahul Gandhi protest: 'Ready to discuss NEET in Parliament'

Jitendra Singh said in a post on X that the government is "ready to discuss in Parliament all issues related to NEET and the associated movement".

Live Updates: https://t.co/9MiFsaawxj

[Ramachandra Guha @Ram_Guha]

In the context of the CJP protests, these figures quoted by @ieuditmisra are telling: Since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, the share of the Education Ministry in the Union Budget has fallen by almost half, from 4.6% in 2013-14 to 2.5% in 2025-26.
https://t.co/kC1Go1ZtVf

[ravish kumar @ravish_journo]

गोदी मीडिया लोकतंत्र का हत्यारा है

[Vandana @vandanav18]

How ironical that Pradhan Mantri’s residence is on the Lok Kalyan Marg! What Lok Kalyan is he really doing

[Yogendra Yadav @_YogendraYadav]

नेता विपक्ष ने विपक्ष का धर्म निभाया है ।
राहुल गांधी जी और उनके तमाम साथी प्रधानमंत्री आवास पर धरने पर बैठे हैं ।जब युवा सड़क पर हों, तो विपक्ष का स्थान भी सड़क पर ही होता है। संसद का रास्ता सड़क से होकर जाता है। अब जवाबदेही टाली नहीं जा सकती।

अगर आप दिल्ली में हैं, तो अभी प्रधानमंत्री आवास, लोक कल्याण मार्ग के बाहर पहुँचिए। यही समय है।

[Vandana @vandanav18]

Mint- the HT group’s business newspaper does not have a single mention of the protests. How do these editors look into the eyes of their young children, having betrayed them

[Running Cat @kaywhoareyou]

Gujarati paper has more guts than times of India and economic times.

[Vandana @vandanav18]

Seriously!!😟

[The Wire @thewire_in]

#LIVE | 'Don't drag court into all this': Delhi high court

The Delhi High Court today (July 21) urged litigants not to drag court into matters connected to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests against the government in the national capital.
https://t.co/9MiFsaawxj

[Vandana @vandanav18]

To everyone wanting to know more about student protests, a humble request-Please please do not watch mainstream news channels. Many YouTubers and independent reporters are doing a great job. Kudos @PeekTV_in, @Abhinav_Pan , @Saurabh_Unmute for the honest coverage

[Dr.Medusa @ms_medusssa]

Today's protests are proof that legacy media has completely lost genz. The lakhs of students who turned up were purely social media informed. NewsPinch, PeekTV, Molitics, independent journalists and youtubers are who we look to now. Bye bye chitra, anjana, aman, sushant, sudhir. Rest in hell. The new media is HERE.

[Helle Lyng @HelleLyngSvends]

Yes, I will be. I need to learn about the nano chips in crore notes.

This technology never reached Norway 🙊

[Vandana @vandanav18]

@ankitv And while I understand the compulsions and repercussions for tech bros and corporates, I think they are missing the larger issue of our education system being screwed up, by choosing to remain silent

[Vandana @vandanav18]

@ankitv Very well said, @ankitv. It’s such a welcome change that our youth are asking questions, despite having been trained not to. And how do we even think of becoming the AI talent hub when the foundation is broken. A bunch of IITs can’t sustain the whole ecosystem

[Vandana @vandanav18]

There are moments of extreme hopelessness - when you see ppl dying, when you see rich being safe and the weak getting crushed. And then there are moments like these that make you feel our soul as a country is alive. May a thousand revolutions bloom! #studentprotests

[Farmer Rights @FarmerRightIND]

मोदी जी झोला उठाने का समय आ गया है !

[isHaHaHa @hajarkagalwa]

11/10 rap from Jantar Mantar ✨

[Vandana @vandanav18]

@appadappajappa One day I want to know the source of your gems @appadappajappa 😊

[Lenny Rachitsky @lennysan]

Great read

[Supriya Sharma @sharmasupriya]

In a divided country, some still know how to build community

Watch this deeply moving story on a basti of the blind in Ranchi: https://t.co/BsJSAX6MU4

Reported by @knowleena and @raghavKakkar30