From Dhaka's July to Jantar Mantar

Are South Asia's student movements echoing each other?

By: Muhammad Al-Amin

From Sri Lanka's economic collapse and the fall of its government in 2022, to Bangladesh's July Uprising of 2024 that ended over a decade of political dominance, and the recent youth-led political transformation in Nepal, South Asia has witnessed a powerful wave of civic mobilisation challenging established political orders.

These developments have reshaped the region's political imagination, demonstrating that organised public pressure particularly when driven by younger generations can significantly influence national politics. Against this backdrop, the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi reflect a broader regional mood of political awakening.

While each country's circumstances remain distinct, the growing assertion of youth voices across South Asia suggests that demands for accountability, transparency, and democratic responsiveness are increasingly transcending national borders, making the region's political landscape more dynamic than ever before.

Now, let's discuss the rationalities of the Jantar Mantar Movement and how it is connected to Dhaka’s July uprising, particularly. Both movements, despite emerging in different political contexts and producing different outcomes, share two notable similarities.

First, both took place in July, making the month a symbolic period for youth-led mobilisation in South Asia. Second, both were fundamentally driven by demands for greater transparency and accountability in the education and employment systems. In Bangladesh, the July 2024 uprising began with grievances over the public job quota system and later evolved into a broader movement calling for government accountability. Similarly, the ongoing student protests at Jantar Mantar in India centre on allegations of examination irregularities, paper leaks, and the demand for a fair, transparent, and accountable recruitment and education system. Although their political trajectories differ, both movements reflect a common aspiration among young people for merit-based opportunities, institutional transparency, and public accountability.

Another striking similarity is that both movements ultimately achieved significant success in advancing their core demands. In both cases, the protesters also faced police violence, including the use of force to disperse demonstrations. Despite these challenges, the movements remained resilient and brought national attention to issues of transparency, accountability, and fairness in the education and employment systems. Another notable similarity is that both movements began as student-led protests but gradually evolved into broader civic movements. As the demonstrations gained momentum, members of civil society—including academics, lawyers, professionals, artists, and cultural figures—publicly expressed their solidarity with the protesters.

In both cases, actors and actresses from the film industry also voiced their support, helping to amplify public attention and broaden the movements' social appeal. This wider participation strengthened the momentum of the protests, transforming them from student-driven campaigns into issues of national public concern.

In Bangladesh, the July 2024 movement initially emerged as a student-led protest demanding reforms to the public sector job quota system. As many protesters saw the government's response as inadequate, the demonstrations expanded in scale and intensity. Although the government later accepted changes to the quota system following judicial decisions, the movement had by then broadened beyond its original demand. Allegations of police violence against protesters, resulting in numerous casualties, further intensified public anger and drew wider sections of society into the movement. As tensions escalated, the protests evolved into a broader anti-government campaign centred on demands for accountability and political change.

Ultimately, the movement culminated in the end of the government's long period in office, marking one of the most significant political turning points in Bangladesh's recent history. In contrast, the student movement centred at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi was primarily driven by allegations of examination paper leaks, concerns over irregularities in the recruitment and examination process, and demands for greater transparency and accountability from the authorities.

Fuelled by widespread frustration among unemployed graduates and job seekers, the protests gradually spread beyond the capital to several other parts of India, attracting growing public attention. As the movement intensified, particularly around 20 July, protesters alleged that police used force, including baton charges, to disperse demonstrations, resulting in injuries and the detention of numerous students.

The movement's principal demands included accountability for the examination controversy, the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation for the families of students who were reported to have died by suicide in connection with examination-related distress, and the unconditional release of detained protesters. According to the movement's organisers, after the government accepted their principal demands—including the announcement of Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation on 25 July—the protests were formally withdrawn. Supporters have described the outcome as one of the most significant student-led victories in India in the past decade, highlighting its impact on the national debate over transparency, accountability, and reform of the country's education and recruitment systems.

In conclusion, it can be argued that the recent student movement at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi represents one of the latest expressions of the uncompromising struggle led by the younger generation in South Asia against what they perceive as injustice, lack of transparency, and institutional unaccountability.

The movement has been widely viewed by its supporters as a significant and successful mobilisation that is likely to leave a lasting impact on Indian politics, particularly on debates surrounding education, recruitment, and public accountability. More broadly, when placed alongside recent student and youth-driven movements in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, the protests in India appear to reflect a wider regional trend in which young people are increasingly becoming influential political actors. Although the political contexts of these countries differ, the growing prominence of student-led activism suggests that South Asia may be entering a new phase of political realignment in which demands for transparency, fairness, and democratic accountability play a more central role in shaping future political developments.

Md. Al-Amin is an educator. He completed his post-graduation from the Department of International Relations at Rajshahi University,Bangladesh. His research interests are Diplomacy, Foreign policy, Border conflicts, and Security issues.