Indian diaspora rallies in London in support of student movement in India, condemns police crackdown
London: Hundreds of members of the Indian diaspora staged a protest outside the Indian High Commission in central London in solidarity with the student movement in India against irregularities in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the police crackdown on demonstrators in New Delhi.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the demonstration was jointly organized by the South Asia Solidarity Group, SFI-UK and the India Workers’ Association under the slogan “Cockroaches of London Unite, Rise in Protest” on Monday evening. Similar protests were also held in Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh, demanding accountability in India’s examination system and the resignation of Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Addressing the gathering, SFI-UK Secretary Somiha Chatterjee expressed solidarity with students in India observing hunger strikes and condemned the continued police brutality against peaceful protesters.
Among the participants was Ishita, a UNICEF employee currently based in London, who said she joined the demonstration in solidarity with her friends in Delhi. She expressed hope that protests abroad would reassure demonstrators in India that they were not alone in their struggle.
Another participant, a 23-year-old student from New Delhi who requested anonymity, said he had previously participated in the anti-CAA/NRC protests before moving to the United Kingdom. He said the current movement represented a broader struggle for justice across India, including support for displaced Adivasi communities, Dalit farmers affected by land acquisition, and Muslims facing persecution and home domilitions.
Protesters gathered outside India House in central London carrying placards and raising slogans such as “Inquilab Zindabad” and “Pradhan Istifa Do”, demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET controversy. They also expressed solidarity with climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and others observing hunger strikes, calling for justice, transparency, accountability and structural reforms to India’s education system.
The organisers announced that a similar solidarity demonstration will be held in Leeds on 26 July in support of the ongoing student movement in India.
