Kochi: “What is happening in our country is like a state of emergency.”
The remark by actor Joju George drew loud applause from the crowd at Kochi’s Maharaja’s College, where over 350 students, teachers, political leaders and cultural figures gathered on Wednesday evening to express solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) ongoing protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Organised by the college union under the banner 'In Solidarity with the Youth of the Nation,' the gathering condemned the alleged police crackdown on students protesting against examination paper leaks, seeking educational reforms and supporting climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike.

The event witnessed several prominent voices from Kerala's literary, cinema and political circles condemn the alleged police action in Delhi and call for greater public participation in the movement.

Among them were writers NS Madhavan and KR Meera, CPM Ernakulam District Secretary S Sathish, filmmakers Aashiq Abu, Mahesh Narayanan, Manu Ashok, Seenu Sohanlal, advocate Hareesh Vasudevan, queer activist Sheetal Shyam, TV presenter Ranjini Haridas, actors Gowri Kishan, Jolly Chirayathu, etc.

Addressing the gathering, George said the country’s education system was facing a crisis with far-reaching consequences. “If a country’s education system faces a leak or collapse, what I believe and consider it to be is slow poisoning. A terrible atmosphere that is about to come tomorrow has already started. The children who reacted against it are being beaten down, and opposition leaders are being dragged away like straw.” He added, “A big round of applause to the youth of our land who acted with awareness against this first. They reminded us that youth protests in history have never backed down.”

NS Madhavan cautioned against what he described as dangerous historical parallels, saying constitutional liberties must remain paramount while dealing with protests. “To face protests, the powers of the government must be limited, proportionate, and legally justified,” he said.

Referring to visuals from Delhi, Madhavan said, “What distressed me the most in Delhi was that among the crowd beating students, there were masked goons in civilian clothes working alongside the police. Nearly a hundred years ago, brownshirts took to the streets along with the police to beat and crush protesters under Hitler. If we follow the lessons of history, this points to a very alarming future,” he added.

Aashiq Abu said Maharaja’s College was the most appropriate venue in Kochi for such a solidarity gathering, given its history of student activism. “At a time when the country is passing through a very emotional state, it is from the helpless state of the people who cannot directly reach that Jantar Mantar protest tent that we all think about such a solidarity gathering."

Calling for wider mobilisation, Abu announced that Kerala’s student community would organise a BSNL office march in Kochi on Thursday in which around 5,000 students are expected to participate. “Support on both a small and large scale needs to rise up. The fact that we can say with conviction that all of us are indeed standing with this student struggle gives great hope. These children who were beaten up on the streets are people who give a great deal of hope to us as well,” he said.

Novelist KR Meera argued that any government displaying authoritarian tendencies would inevitably target education because knowledge empowers citizens. Appealing directly to students, she said, “While you and I remain silent, efforts to silence us come from everywhere. My dear children, lead us. Lead the country. Teach us once again what courage is, what freedom is, and what the joy of fraternity is.”

Advocate Hareesh Vasudevan shifted the focus to what he described as structural failures in the country's examination system, particularly the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA). “NEET is an exam where students dedicate their lives. Yet over the last nine years, question papers for over nine exams have been leaked or questioned, leaving 23 young children to commit suicide,” he said.

Arguing that reforms must go beyond political accountability, he added, “Demanding the Education Minister’s resignation is a temporary demand. Until accountability is fixed, and until the conduct of this exam is transferred to a system under the elected Parliament operating under the rule of law, this struggle must continue.” He also criticised what he described as the judiciary's reluctance to urgently intervene against alleged police excesses and urged citizens to submit petitions before constitutional institutions.

Ranjini Haridas, who recently returned from the CJP protest site in Delhi, recounted what she witnessed there. “Going there, I seriously doubted whether we are still a democracy,” she said, adding that police detained leaders, including Abhijit Dipke, after inviting them for discussions, seized their phones and used multiple barricades to divide protesters before resorting to force.

Despite the alleged crackdown, she said the protesters remained fearless. “They are taking the blows while laughing, saying ‘Tear gas? Bring it on!’ They are extremely brave. Raise your voice as much as you can,” she urged the protesters.

S Sathish said the student movement represented a broader fight against authoritarianism. “The students gathered in Delhi are calling out to the country: ‘India is not dying.’ Against authoritarianism and fascist tendencies, the student community – holding tightly to the soul of India – is launching a struggle. To those fighting in Delhi, we raise our fists and say: You are not alone. All of us are behind you."