Of the people, by the people, and for the people. That is a true democracy. Every citizen is important in a democracy. Not hearing out citizens is not something that democracies should do. Instead, things were allowed to fester for so long and then citizens were treated with disregard; that is terrible. The response to the students’ protest should have been handled better.

Unfortunately, it was not handled properly at all. I don’t think we should label the students as terrorists, foreign-funded, or whatever names they were called. It is important for the government to listen to what students want and take action. Just listening to them is also not enough. Good education is something that will determine what every child’s and our country’s future will look like. Education is one of the most important pillars of a nation.

We need to pull up our socks and make the system better. There are no doubts that a lot needs to be done. What we require is for the government to make changes, not just pay lip service. They have to begin with accountability and taking responsibility for repetitive failures. They have to be more compassionate about the children who lost their lives. We don’t need hollow words; we need responsibility, accountability, and action.

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Actors Atul Kulkarni, Arjun Mathur, Kritika Kamra, Chandan Roy Sanyal, and comedian Kunal Kamra were among the many who attended the July 24 protest in Mumbai