A national weekly magazine carried the joke that a famous leader was boasting to Indira Gandhi, I have achieved what you did in india, without imposing Emergency. The newspapers carried the report today that water, electricity supply had been cut off, and college mess(canteen) was closed in Hyderabad university as the students protested against the reinstatement of the vice chancellor who was allegedly resposible for the death of the dalit student Rohith Vemula.
It appears that unlike a few decades ago, where students were only interested in getting a good job or going abroad, today students especially in the larger states are extremely aware of the inequalities in Indian society and willing to fight for their rights. earlier students were treated with kidgloves as most people were aware of the fact that their idealism would slowly die as they grew older. Today it appears that the approach to handling these angry students is not negotiating with them to find a solution, bullying them to keep quiet, cutting off their food and water supply.
However young people, especially those who are not privileged or well connected are aware that they will be second class citizens for the rest of their life if they do not fight and change the systems as the elite are ruthless in maintaining their monopoly.It remains to be seen who will blink first, whether the harassment approach will work in the long term or the government will change before they are able to mould young people to think, behave the way they want to. only time will tell.