PUNE: Rain rang steadily on hundreds of colourful umbrellas. Rap music blared from portable speakers. Bollywood posters were given satirical makeovers. As chants of “Dharmendra Pradhan resign” echoed through the city’s old parts on Friday evening, Gen Z turned a protest march into a carnival of dissent.Placards read “Not the paper, the system has leaked”; “Retest the system, not the students”. Another screamed “I like my tea strong, but democracy stronger”.Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) Tiranga Padyatra, demanding the Union education minister’s resignation over repeated controversies surrounding competitive examinations and paper leaks, drew thousands of students, young professionals, parents and citizens. They marched from Lal Mahal Chowk near Shaniwar Wada to the district collector’s office, refusing to let the rain wash away either their slogans or their anger.For nearly three hours, the city’s historic streets became a moving canvas of colour and protest. Seen from above, the rally snaked through the old city like a stream of bright umbrellas, interrupted by tricolours, witty posters and students breaking into slogans every few minutes. The rain, instead of thinning the crowd, seemed to bring more energy to it.“Our fight is not against an examination. It is against a system that keeps failing students. One mistake is understandable. But when every major examination lands in controversy, how do students trust the process? The education minister has to take responsibility,” said Krishika Agarwal, a protester.The protest looked distinctly Gen Z. Gone were the predictable banners. In their place were memes, pop culture references and film posters with sharp political twists. Every few metres, someone stopped to photograph a clever placard before hurrying back into the march. Between slogans, protesters sang along to rap songs questioning the system and demanding accountability.Many participants said they had joined a protest for the first time. “We are often called the social media generation. Today we are on the streets because this is about our future. We cannot remain silent,” said a college student.The march drew support from across age groups. Members of the transgender community walked in solidarity with students, while families watched from shopfronts and balconies, applauding as the procession passed.Neeharika, who travelled from Delhi after participating in protests at Jantar Mantar, said the movement had to spread across the country. “Pressure has to build until the government listens. Students everywhere feel betrayed. This is bigger than NEET or any one examination. It is about restoring trust.”Abhijit More, one of the organisers, said the padyatra was deliberately kept peaceful. “Students, citizens and young people from Pune have come together because they no longer trust the education minister’s handling of repeated examination controversies. We want accountability and an independent investigation.”First-time protester Vaishnavi Singh said, “We are often told that young people only express themselves on social media, but today we are on the streets because our future is at stake. If we don’t speak up now, we will have no right to complain later.”The loudest cheers were reserved for a 75-year-old woman. She grabbed the microphone near the collector’s office and led slogans against the examination system.Rohan Swamy, a student, said, “Every year there is a new controversy around an entrance examination. Students spend months preparing, but one mistake in the system can undo all that hard work. We are here to demand accountability, not sympathy. The government must restore our trust in the examination process.”Samhita Pathak, a student from Savitribai Phule Pune University, who was part of the protest, said, “We have come here with posters, music and slogans not because we enjoy protesting, but because this is the only way left to make ourselves heard. We want the government to listen to students before another batch has to go through the same uncertainty.”
