Born in India, I moved to Australia with my parents when I was three years old. Growing up, education was guaranteed. From pre-school through to university, I spent almost two decades with this ‘constant’ in my life – one that carried immense opportunity and privilege that I’ve never taken for granted. During these years, I would often hear family members telling stories about the intense academic pressures faced by students in India. The determination required to compete in one of the world’s most demanding education systems can be somewhat difficult to comprehend from afar. Yet, the concerns being raised by Indian students today are impossible to ignore.
As thousands of young people in India continue protesting for education reforms and the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (after the alleged leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test [NEET]), we’re now seeing many parts of the global Indian diaspora speaking out.
We often hear about the inner conflict experienced by second generation Indian Australians who feel caught between two cultures. However, the past few weeks have also drawn greater attention to the complexities faced by first generation migrants and international students when it comes to advocacy, evolving cultural identities and connection to the homeland. Relocating to another country comes with its own financial, social and cultural challenges, not to mention additional adversities such as the 2009-10 “racially motivated” attacks on Indian students in Melbourne. Even so, their connection to India remains strong.
In a now-viral Instagram post shared on Tuesday in light of the protests, content creator Gowri Anil explained that “being an Indian in the diaspora can feel so disorienting sometimes”. The 25-year-old, who now lives in the UK, explained that despite being seas away, she and other “diaspora Indians carry a deep longing for a homeland that is free, equitable, and just.”
“Back home, thousands of young people are raising their voices and demanding change. I may not be there physically, but I’m following, listening, and standing in solidarity with everyone showing up and speaking out.”
Sydney-based couple Paridhi and Hitesh urged other NRIs (non-resident Indians) to show solidarity by paying attention to the demonstrations in India.
“Living overseas doesn’t exempt us from caring about what happens back home. Being an NRI isn’t a free pass to switch off your conscience,” read part of a post shared on the couple’s Instagram account on Wednesday. Their final carousel slide delivered a pointed message: “Whether you live in Delhi, Sydney, London, Toronto, or New York… Your passport may change. Your humanity shouldn’t.”
Ankita Karungalekar, who came to Australia from India to study media and communications in 2018, reflected on how valuable her own education experience in Australia has been – and the importance of utilising that to speak up about what’s happening in Delhi.
“I studied journalism because I believed it could help bring about change. If I choose silence today, I lose the very purpose that led me into this profession,” she wrote on LinkedIn this week. “And if we remain silent when education is under threat, we surrender our right to question the future we are creating.”
To date, Indian diplomatic missions in Australia have not released an official public statement regarding the protests in India.
Protests for education reform in India
Thousands of students have taken to the streets, demanding accountability after the alleged leak of the NEET, one of the country’s most competitive entrance examinations for medical colleges. Their central demand is the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with reforms to India’s examination system.
The demonstrations, centred around New Delhi’s historical site Jantar Mantar have been spearheaded by the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a movement that began as online satire before evolving into a nationwide campaign against examination irregularities, unemployment and government accountability. Education reformer and environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk had joined demonstrators and started a prolonged hunger strike before being forcibly removed by authorities and taken to hospital on Saturday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hasn’t directly addressed the protests in public. On Monday 20 July, Modi addressed the media outside the Parliament building ahead of the opening day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. “I believe that where there are facts, there is no need for chaos. If your logic and facts are strong, there is no need to raise your voice. I hope the discussions in Parliament are conducted with logic and facts. Every voice should find an opportunity to be heard. That is the role of Parliament,” he said.
The PM also spoke about the achievements of some of India’s young innovators, including the team behind space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace. “The young people working in this ‘Skyroot’ startup… I have been told the average age of their entire team is only 28 years,” said Modi.
“Such youngsters have accomplished this work; I am not talking about any 56-year-old ‘youngster’, I am talking about these startups in the country with an average age of 28 that have planted India’s flag in space,” he said.
Some news publications, including Times of India, have suggested Modi was alluding to 56-year-old opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been critical of Modi’s silence on the protests.
Education and youth mental health in India
More than two million candidates compete in NEET every year, often dedicating several years of preparation while families invest enormous financial and emotional resources into coaching, relocation and study materials. When allegations of paper leaks emerge, students argue that years of effort can be rendered meaningless overnight, with re-sitting the exam not feasible for some students due to financial, geographical and familial factors.
India has long faced a student mental health crisis, with academic pressure repeatedly identified as a major contributing factor of students committing suicide. Protest organisers and several media reports have pointed to more than 20 student suicides associated with distress surrounding recent examination contentions.
Calls for peaceful protests
As tens of thousands in Delhi defied a police crackdown and attempted to march up to parliament earlier this week, many images and footage have surfaced online, along with reports that “police used batons and tear gas” on some protesters. According to the BBC, “police and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government have not commented on the use of sticks and tear gas against protesters”.
Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, has called for Indian authorities to “promptly investigate allegations that security forces used truncheons and tear gas to disperse tens of thousands of students protesting in Delhi”.
“The authorities should order police to exercise restraint, restore mobile internet connectivity near protests, and ensure people can protest peacefully,” Ganguly said in an official statement.
On Tuesday, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi, and other members of the Indian National Congress staged a protest outside Modi’s residence. “We have marched to PM Modi’s house to demand answers from him for the brutalities against young students yesterday,” Gandhi posted on Instagram.
News reports on Wednesday stated Indian police had detained Gandhi after he called for Modi’s resignation.
Where to from here?
From outside India, the most meaningful contribution may be to continue spotlighting voices on the ground, encourage international attention and support calls for transparency and accountability. The youth are often described as the future of a nation. But that future depends on whether they are given a genuine chance to shape it.
For a country that prides itself on producing some of the world’s brightest doctors, engineers and scientists, protecting the integrity of the examinations that select them is not merely an administrative responsibility… it is a test of democracy itself.
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