A group of 100 prominent writers and artists, including essayist Ashok Vajpeyi, poet K Satchidanandan, Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq, dancer Mallika Sarabhai, have extended their unwavering solidarity with the protesting students across the country.
The personalities said the repeated instances of question paper leaks and other irregularities had gravely questioned the integrity of public institutions.
“We are deeply disturbed by the reports of use of force against students engaged in peaceful democratic protest in different parts of the country, including at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. In a constitutional democracy, the legitimate concerns of young citizens must be met with dialogue and justice, not by violence and intimidation,” they said in a joint statement.
The eminent names urged the BJP-led central dispensation to take swift and stringent action against all those responsible for examination paper leaks and related malpractice.
“We also demand an honest dialogue with the students and an impartial inquiry into the incidents of violence against students and unwarranted use of force,” the statement read.
“We stand with the students of India in their peaceful struggle for justice, accountability, and a trustworthy examination system,” it said.
The group also urged fellow writers, artists and thinkers from all parts of the country to come out in support of the demands of students to decide the future of the Indian democracy.
The protest at Jantar Mantar began last month under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), along with several student organisations.
The protesters have been demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and irregularities in the CBSE’s on-screen marking process, besides seeking wider reforms in the conduct of public examinations.
The agitation gathered wider attention after climate activist Sonam Wangchuk joined it with an indefinite hunger strike on June 28 and following clashes between police and protesters on July 20.