Chennai, July 23 : Oscar winning Sound Designer Resul Pookutty and well known south Indian actresses Dushara Vijayan and Nikhila Vimal are the latest to react to the protests by students and members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over recurring examination irregularities, including the NEET-UG paper leaks.
Taking to his Instagram page to pen his thoughts on the protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, which has now sparked off protests in several other parts of the country, Resul Pookutty wrote, "When #ICE protest erupted in #minnesota, we thought that’s not something that affects us, turn around and look at our own backyard #jantarmantarprotestcjp. The images are so strikingly similar!"
He went onto say, "My dear #genz, You turned silence into courage and courage into hope. May your protest be remembered as light that refuses to bow! This protest is poetry with pulse!"
Tamil actress Dushara Vijayan took to her X timeline to pen her thoughts. She wrote, "I cannot stop thinking about the students standing on our streets. Behind every placard is a life that has studied through sleepless nights, carried impossible expectations, and held on to a dream that means everything to them. To see those same young people met with fear and force is deeply unsettling."
She went on to say, "Whatever our beliefs or politics, I hope we never become a society that stops listening to its students. Their voices are not a threat. They are a reminder that hope still exists."
Dushara concluded her post saying, "To every student out thereâ€"I hope you stay safe. I hope your dignity is protected. And I hope your dreams are never made to feel smaller than the courage it took to stand up for them. 'My heart is with you…'."
Well known Malayalam actress Nikhila Vimal expressed solidarity with the protestors.
She wrote, "Every generation inherits a country. Some must rise to defend its future. When the young take to the streets, it is the future demanding to be heard. May we listen. May we stand with them. In solidarity."
