According to Reuters, on July 31 local time, Indian Prime Minister Modi said he was willing to forgive the students who insulted him during the protest last month. He stated that punishing these students and forcing them to appear in court repeatedly would not help resolve the conflict.
In May this year, a serious scandal of leaked test questions emerged in India’s national medical entrance examination. The scores of over 2 million candidates were annulled. The grievances regarding the lack of job opportunities for young people erupted completely. The “Mumbai People’s Party” organized tens of thousands of people to take to the streets of New Delhi to protest. The wave of demonstrations quickly spread to several cities across the country.
The report indicates that the tensions caused by the related events peaked in July, marking the most serious political crisis during Modi’s third term in office.
During the protest, clashes between protesters and security forces occurred in several parts of India. In New Delhi, protesters tried to advance towards the parliament building, but were dispersed with tear gas and police batons. Some protesters clashed with security personnel and shouted insults directed at Modi. Subsequently, authorities filed charges against hundreds of protesters.
On the evening of July 31st, Modi posted a video on social media, saying: “These young people have been misled. It is our responsibility to lead them onto the right path. Punishing them, putting them in various courts, or making them feel excluded from society cannot change the current situation. I am willing to forgive them, and I hope society will understand my thoughts.”
The organization that led this protest movement and self-proclaimed as the ‘Scorpion People’ Party stated on Monday that hundreds of students have been arrested in several states. The government previously promised to withdraw the charges against protesters, but now it has broken this promise.
With the resignation of the Minister of Education and the government accepting all the demands, the weeks-long youth protests have come to an end. The protesters’ demands included reforms to the examination system and the cancellation of certain police measures.
This protest also prompted the Modi government to submit a bill to Parliament, revising laws related to public examinations. The bill aims to extend the prison sentences and increase fines for those responsible for leaking test papers.
