14.03.2019 was the day ! My entire adrenaline was rushing with the velocity equal to Usain Bolt’s. I was thrilled, I was shook and I was extremely extremely thunderstuck of what we had just done ! 4 hours of NH block ! 2 hours that gave the faculty of our college a huge fright ! The entire town was in a Chaos for 4 hours just because of us. And we fought for the right cause.
The night before the PROTEST
I had my General English exam the next day. It was about 6 pm in the evening and I suddenly recieve a message from our REPRESENTATIVE’S GROUP. In the message I read many conversation since the group consisted the representative’s of the of all the classes. My eyes suddenly caught Smriti akka’s message. ” Since many personally messaged me today specially juniors asking that you guys wanted to protest demanding justice for the girls who were abused by a group of men in the Pollachi , I wanted to respond as a Chairman to all your questions……” and she went on and what caught my mind was the fact that if all the classes accepted wholeheartedly to participate in the protest she would take this to the college management so that we would protest with the consent of the college management. She also mentioned that we had to infrom every classes and ask for their consent on or before 8 pm so that she can start the official process. My nerves were exhalted !
Now, I rushed to my class group and asked everyone to be online by 6 pm to another group that does not include any faculty. I asked all my friends who were online to call whoever aren’t to ask them to be so that I can pass on the important message. Every single one of my friends helped me with that and I am greatful to them for that instant help. Finally after lots of messaging and tones of calls and questioning they all came online but I asked the others to pass on the information once I told them. I told all of them that I will only disclose the matter once a fair number of my classmates come online. Finally they came. I informed that we were about to have a protest tomorrow to stand against the men who abused over 200 girls and to bring them behind the bars with severe punishment. And I also said that they should all ask their friend who aren’t online, by calling them personally for their consent because I decided without atleast 40 out 56 members consent I would not convey to Smriti akka that our class would participate. I asked them all to come online by 8 pm and to inform me about their decisions. I also informed them all to study as well until I once get any information that we would definitely protest tomorrow. But trust me I DID NOT touch the book that day because I was too damn excited for the next day and so was shobi.
The messages started coming in. The numbers increased from 10,13,17,20,24,30,to39 and I was waiting for one more person to say yes to the protest. And finally 40 popped up and the number increased over 40 ! I was happy that we girls were about to stand for a good cause. I later informed that our class was ready to participate in the protest with full consent and I see tons of messages in the group and every single Rep in the group showing their support that every class was ready to protest. Smriti akka said YES and she instructed us that none should misuse the opportunity and that everyone should stay united to taste success. I could not wait for the sun to raise. I could not wait already. Shobi and me we couldn’t hold our excitement. We were literally screaming on the phone.
The day came 14.03.2019 Thursday.
I told my Appa that we were going to protest and he said “ok” just like that. He probably did not realise how serious I was. I ironed my cloths, since I didn’t have any black ones I had to wear the gray ones, put on a lot of sunscreen since I knew that we would be staying outdoors today and as Smriti akka insisted I had my breakfast which happens once in a bluemoon. And I packed water, lunch because the day would demand tons and tons of enegy. I started my vehicle, marching towards my college thinking that we had to act cool until 9.30 am so that the teachers would not know and later after 9.30 am we were going to ask for the management to grant us permission to protest but what happened was contrary.
To my biggest surprise, when I reached near the college I saw many vehicles out there and when I went near the gate suddenly I saw that all the girls have already gathered there sitting right infront of the gate blocking the way that none could go through ! I had a difficult time parking that day. And the pupil started gathering and the teachers were took by shock on seeing this. Having no way to control the mass, they tried as much as they could to stop us but all of a sudden we all pushed against the gate which the Watchman could not hold back anymore and came through that gate like the warrior angles to the road and we started the mass protest.
Half of us ran to the main road that was few meters forward from our college gate and we protested there for about 15 minutes and the Police came to the spot by 10 minutes since the NH was blocked. Then we as a whole protest infront of out college, seated on the road for about 1 hour. DSP had to come check on us! Later we moved a little forward but within 15 minutes breaking the ropes of the Police and the barricades, we all 3000 ran over 3 km to the main spot of our town. We sat on the main NH of our town and we protest for about 2 hours!
WE WANT JUSTICE ! WE WANT JUSTICE !
We chanted ! DSP came on spot, ADSP , PRINCIPAL AND SECRETARY all of them insisted us that we had to move away since they noted our queries. But we would not move a stone from the spot until they accepted to take all of our FIR. Finally by 1.30 we withdrew from our spot and the town resumed. We were the live telecast of all news channels and my Dad was surprised on seeing the impact that we all girls made !
CRAZY PART !
We were warned unofficially by a official that we would get our heads injured if we ran marching to the town. It was him, threatening us indirectly. ME and Shobi we did not care much.
I got into a chit chat like fight with a police officer and I won ! She accepted that I was correct.
I got to have the best experience of my lifetime.
We all got to know what an amazing Unity could do.
I was extremely proud of my college mates and my CLASSMATES for their cooperation and braveness.
ALL IN ALL A GOOD EXPERIENCE !
With pride in the heart,
Veera’s Pen.
perception21 