The studentsโ protest demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over the NEET-UG paper leak has escalated, and now voices from outside the political sphere are being heard. The protest led by the CJP has taken a violent turn, with the opposition also becoming a part of it. For more than a month, the protesters have taken to the streets of Central Delhi to demand educational reforms. Police, in the last couple of days, have blocked exits and metro gates to stop the students and also allegedly used force, including lathi charges and tear gas on July 20 during the proposed Parliament march.ย
Indian athletes Nikhat Zareen, Manu Bhaker, Sahal Abdul Samad, along with former sports stars Abhinav Bindra, Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan, took to social media urging patience and dialogue between the government and protesting students.
Through dialogue we can find an amicable solution: Yuvraj Singh
Former Indian cricket stars Yuvraj Singh and Shikhar Dhawan highlighted the importance of patience and keeping faith in the countryโs government amid the protests. Shikhar, in particular, stressed that every challenge finds resolution through patience.
โTo every child, student, woman and man: you deserve the opportunity to learn in peace, grow with safety, and chase your dreams. Your well-being is the foundation of a brighter India. Let’s come together to build communities of care, opportunity and hope. Through dialogue, we can find an amicable solution for the sake of India’s future,โ Yuvraj wrote on Instagram story.ย
Not just cricketers, Shooters, boxers, and footballers have also come together
Abhinav Bindra, the first Indian individual Olympic gold medallist, took to X and expressed his stance over the ongoing protests. Though he did not directly mention the CJP protests, he called education an issue that belongs to all. He hopes for unity and to strengthen the education system together.
โI hope we can all unite and work together to continually strengthen our education system, so that it remains a source of opportunity, innovation and hope for generations to come,โ Bindra posted.
Manu Bhaker, a two-time Olympic medal-winning shooter, has also posted on X, highlighting the need for education for every child, and calling it a fundamental right, rather than a privilege.
โThis is not about promoting or opposing any political party. It is about speaking up for what truly mattersโeducation, the environment, safety, and accountability. These issues affect every one of us, regardless of our beliefs,โ she wrote.
On Tuesday, ex-world champion boxer Nikhat Zareen urged the government to pay attention to the demonstrators.
โStudents are the future. Listen before they stop speaking. Nations donโt grow by silencing questions. They grow by answering them. Dialogue safeguards tomorrow. That is democracy,โ she wrote in an X post.
Sahal Abdul Samad, expressed his solidarity with the students. stressed the fact that a peaceful protest is not a threat. “These are young people who came peacefully, asking to be heard, and they’re being answered with force,โ he wrote in a post on Facebook.
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