Shillong, Jul 23: The state capital today witnessed a solidarity protest in support of the demonstrators at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The protest drew in hundreds of students, parents, journalists and residents to demand accountability over the alleged NEET paper leak and the police action against protesters, some of which were children, in the national capital.
The gathering began around 2:30pm and was organised by concerned citizens rather than any political party or organisation. Protesters carried placards, raised slogans and demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Several school students and young children also took part in the protest, holding posters with messages calling for justice and a better future.
“We deserve justice. We will not stand for a corrupt government,” said Aisha, a student who joined the demonstration.
Another participant, Shiv Singh, said Meghalaya could not remain silent on an issue affecting students across the country. “Education concerns every state. If we stay quiet today, the next generation will also remain silent. We have to raise our voice,” he added.
A working professional who joined the protest said she was participating as a citizen and not on behalf of any political party. “This peaceful protest concerns everyone because we are the future of the country. If the government believes it has done nothing wrong, it should come forward and speak to the students. At least empathise with the families who lost their children. I stand with the Constitution, not with any political party,” she said.
Another participant from Laitumkhrah said the protest was about unity. “We want the country and its students to come together and face this problem together,” he said.
Young participants echoed similar concerns. One student said they had joined the protest “to fight for a better future” and to support the students demonstrating in Delhi.
Ezekiel Nongrum demanded accountability from the government. “I want justice for the students. I want the education minister to resign because he does not deserve that seat,” he said.
Senior journalist Patricia Mukhim, who also attended the protest, said citizens should speak up when young people are affected.
“We all have a voice and we should use that voice for justice. This concerns young people, so we must stand with them. We also demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan,” she said.
Commenting on the police action against protesters in Delhi, Patricia said, “This is not the way a democracy is run. People have the right to protest peacefully and there was no need for violence.”
One of the organisers, Yash, said the gathering was a spontaneous initiative by concerned citizens.
“We had no expectations. We were frustrated by what had happened and wanted to bring people together. Even if only ten people had turned up, we would have been happy,” he said.
Referring to the events following the alleged examination paper leak, he added, “What happened after the paper leak disturbed me deeply. The brutality against students and children is not something we signed up for.”
The protesters said they wanted accountability from the government and urged the authorities to engage with students instead of using force. They said the issues surrounding examination irregularities and the treatment of protesters were matters of concern for students across the country.
Meanwhile, in Khyndailad, the Hynñiewtrep Youths’ Council (HYC) organised a public meeting in solidarity with protesting students at Jantar Mantar. The gathering condemned the reported police atrocities against peaceful protesters.
The meeting was held to garner public support for upholding the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution. It also expressed solidarity with students whose voices deserve to be heard through dialogue, not by force.
Speaking at the meeting, HYC leader Roy Kupar Synrem strongly condemned the police action against peaceful youth demonstrators in New Delhi and demanded that the central government and the Union Education Minister take responsibility for what had happened.
“The youths of this country, and in Meghalaya, will never tolerate the injustices being meted out to students,” Synrem said. He added that his organisation would continue protesting, as similar incidents could occur in the state.
“Governments may come and go, and political parties may rise and fall, but the democratic values enshrined in the Constitution of India are permanent,” Synrem said. He added that while the government has the right to detain those indulging in violence, it has no right to stop peaceful protesters.
Synrem also urged the gathering to stand against injustice. He said parents who had sacrificed everything to ensure quality education for their children were shattered by the incident, and students who had prepared for years for NEET were left shocked.
“We have come here to protest not because we like it, or just for the sake of protesting. But because of the injustices being meted out to the youths of the country, and the government’s silence on the matter,” Synrem said.
Separately, the North-Eastern Hill University Students’ Union (NEHUSU) has expressed solidarity with activist Sonam Wangchuk and students nationwide protesting the NEET paper leak, calling it a blow to faith in the country’s examination system.
In a statement, NEHUSU said students bear the cost of systemic failures and condemned reports of peaceful protesters being beaten and detained.
Demanding accountability at the highest level the union called for Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to accept moral and political responsibility and resign.
“Restoring public confidence in the country’s education system begins with accountability, not assurances,” NEHUSU president Melamlynti Markhap said, adding that students are demanding “fairness, justice, and accountability,” not sympathy.
NEHUSU has appealed to all students and research scholars to join a peaceful solidarity gathering on Friday at 2pm near the Central Library on the campus.
The union said it stands with every student fighting for a system where “merit is protected, transparency is upheld, and accountability is never compromised.”
