Change Is Near

October 18, 2026:

Winds of change are blowing in Delhi and, in fact, all over the country! There is absolutely no doubt about that! The change is in the air: palpable, vibrant and far removed from the pollution to which one is so accustomed in cities like Delhi. The winds of change are a movement whose face is the Gen Z of today—thousands of them, most of them unknown, but, in keeping with the spirit of what is happening, some are the visible faces (they are vocal and articulate) of the new freedom struggle that has gripped the nation. They are not alone, though; thousands of others are in solidarity with them: farmers and lawyers, casual labourers and simple homemakers, academics and media personnel, old and young, politicians belonging to opposition parties, and members of civil society! They are all determined to usher in a new chapter in the country's history.

One experienced this in Delhi in recent days: the evening of 16 September was, in some ways, the pièce de résistance! Despite prohibitory orders, thousands gathered in and around Connaught Place, responding to a call from the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) to ‘Lehera do tiranga’. They came in droves with the national flags, singing and chanting, and shouting slogans like ‘Inquilab Zindabad!’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai!’ Protesters held a 270-foot-long tricolour aloft in a wave in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Among those who joined the march was 93-year-old Devaki Jain, a retired economist who did not mince words when she spoke to the media, justifying her presence at the protests.

A police force of more than 6,000 personnel was deployed in the area. They did their best to crush the protest, as they have tried to do over the past few days. They managed to detain a few people. Abhijeet Dipke was detained and then arrested as he planned to head to Connaught Place for the march. Neha Bora, the All India Students Association leader, was detained in the Mandi House area while protesting. Until very late in the night, she was taken to a far-off destination and finally released. A local court ordered Abhijeet to provide a bond of Rs 50,000 and declare that he would not disrupt the peace. On the morning of Saturday, 17 October, he came out of the Mandir Marg police station and shared a photo of Shah Rukh Khan's character in the film Veer-Zaara (2004), in tears upon being released after 22 years in a Pakistani jail. He captioned it, “How it feels walking out of jail after 24 hours with no wifi and phone.” Two CJP leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, are in judicial custody for allegedly trespassing last week at Jantar Mantar, which was recently denotified as a protest venue.

The regime is in panic mode! Desperate! It is sparing no effort to quell the resistance! Delhi is like a city under siege: most of the areas that could be used for protests are barricaded. A few days ago, the authorities shut down the metro services and jammed the internet in the protest areas. More than 26,000 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel have been brought in for round-the-clock duty. Simply unbelievable! The fascist regime is attacking and waging war against its own citizens. Though unacceptable, it is understandable: the citizens of India have the truth on their side and are demanding justice! A bitter pill for the regime to swallow.

On 14 October, an emergency Consultation and Collaboration meeting was held to strengthen and widen the anti-SIR movement and take it forward. It was held at Surjeet Bhavan, with more than 200 national- and state-level organisations participating, including youth organisations, farmers’ groups (like the Samyukt Kisan Morcha) and civil society forces. The meeting resolved to carry the struggle forward until it reaches its logical conclusion and to expand it across the country. A national-level network was formed under the name ‘People Against SIR’. A ‘Democracy March’ was announced for 23 October in every district and at every taluk headquarters across the country. A new wave of energy has been infused into the anti-SIR movement. “Every village is Jantar Mantar, every street is Jantar Mantar, every home is Jantar Mantar.”

On 15 October, a hearing was held by the Independent Commission for SIR at Jawahar Bhawan. The Independent Commission comprises five eminent former judges. Ground reports and testimonies from affected people in Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal and Odisha were presented. The investigative work carried out in Karnataka by the Nagarika Mata Kavalu Samiti (Citizens’ Committee for Safeguarding the Vote) attracted particular attention. Distinctive and eye-opening testimonies were presented. After collecting evidence from all the states, the Commission will deliver its verdict.

That afternoon, a historic press conference was addressed by Neha Bora, Abhijeet Dipke, Aishe Ghosh, Tara Rao, Prashant Bhushan, Anjali Bharadwaj, Prakash Raj and others. The press conference was packed to capacity, with national and international media representatives in attendance. Those who spoke did so with great conviction, providing new hope to a battered nation. They issued a direct challenge to the Modi government. It was a clear expression of the emergence of a new phase in the movement. Unfortunately, ‘Republic TV’, true to its style, tried to heckle the speakers and provoke a confrontation. The rest of the media could not accept this and literally threw them out of the Press Club.

These past few days in Delhi have galvanised the energy of the youth, together with all sections of society, towards a newer and more determined way forward. They have effectively used the media to challenge the regime. Eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan declared, “Yes, changing the government is the goal of our struggle. It is not merely our right but our duty, and we will ensure that it is done.”

There is an interesting but highly contextual meme doing the rounds. It says, “Democracy keeps political authority open to revision: Governments can be dismissed, policies reconsidered, institutions reformed, and inherited relations of domination challenged. In this sense, change belongs to democracy’s essential character.”

That, in a way, sums up the current happenings: We are the change—the change in India is near indeed!

By Fr. Cedric Prakash, SJ

Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com