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Azadi chant's long history in youth protests
Al Jazeera··16 Aug
A feature traces how the 'Azadi' chant, once treated as a sedition-linked slogan tied to Kashmiri resistance and 2016 JNU protests, became the anthem of this year's Cockroach Janta Party demonstrations at Jantar Mantar. Analysts cited in the piece say this generation of protesters, unlike the 2016 or 2019 cohorts, largely avoided being branded 'anti-national' in the media.
Prism
What It Means For You
- If you follow student politics, the changing reception of the same slogan shows how public perception of dissent has shifted since 2016.
- Parents and educators can see how social media and influencer-driven coverage now shape protest narratives more than television debates once did.
- Understanding this history helps explain why current protest chants draw less immediate 'anti-national' framing compared to a decade ago.
What's Happening
- The 'Azadi' chant, popularised via the Gully Boy film song, became the anthem of Cockroach Janta Party protests over exam irregularities.
- Analysts told Al Jazeera this year's protesters were largely non-Muslim in visible leadership, unlike 2019's citizenship law protests, changing how media covered them.
- Student groups like AISA and SFI helped sustain the Jantar Mantar protest camp, with six students joining Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.
From JNU 2016 to Jantar Mantar 2026
- The chant's political life traces to Pakistan's 1980s feminist resistance and Kashmiri resistance movements before entering mainland Indian student politics.
- The 2016 JNU sedition row saw student leaders arrested after Azadi slogans were aired repeatedly on television as evidence of alleged anti-national activity.
- The 2019-2020 citizenship law protests saw Muslim student leaders face heavier scrutiny, a pattern this year's more diffuse protest leadership avoided.
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