Central Delhi lockdown: How did Jantar Mantar turn a protest site? | In Focus Weekend
This article explores the historical evolution of Jantar Mantar as a primary protest site in Delhi, contrasting it with previous hubs like the Boat Club and Ramlila Grounds. It examines why this 18th-century observatory has become the symbolic heart of modern Indian political dissent.
Why it matters
Understanding the geography of protest provides insight into the shifting dynamics of democratic expression and public space in India's capital.
All roads, it seems, lead to the good old Jantar Mantar. Or do they, considering many of them are closed these days. Built in 1724, Jantar Mantar was not always the preferred site for anyone with a prayer, petition or protest on mind. The protest sites at various times in the past were at Boat Club where one remembers anti cow slaughter protests some 50 years ago followed by those during the Babri Masjid-Ramjanambhoomi stir. Then the Ramlila grounds became the place where thousands would gather to vent their anger against the government. It was here that the India Against Corruption protest caught the common man’s imagination.
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