26 July,2026 07:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Protestors have been showing up despite heavy rain throughout the nation. Pic/PTI
The network of people present at Jantar Mantar doesn't end there. There exists another link that connects one to another, which is simply built on strangers and their kindness. Lawyers are taking cases pro bono, the queer community is sticking together, and multiple organisations are providing funds to amplify the ripples of this movement to the ends of the country. Volunteers stand through heavy rains to provide help to those on the ground, and even influencers online make sure the message does not die.
Protests went nation-wide after Sonam Wangchuk was forcefully taken by the police
Advocate Parv Kumar has been a practising lawyer in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court for three years. He is providing free legal assistance to students and protestors by taking on their detention cases pro bono.
He says, "The legal profession carries a responsibility, right? It goes beyond representing paying clients. The word justice and access to it should not always depend on the person's financial situation. Especially in the circumstance when someone is suddenly detained, is going through all those atrocities, which we are witnessing right now."
Pic/Instagram@thecousincorporation
Kumar believes it's the bare minimum to provide timely legal guidance to protestors. He states that providing cases pro bono doesn't follow any specific ideology and is only a method to ensure that individuals are provided with fair legal representation and due process when necessary. Kumar also adds that legal advice at the earliest stage is the best way to protect an individual's rights.
"Whatever one's views on the protest itself, ensuring that legal procedures remain transparent and accessible, ultimately strengthens public confidence in the justice system," he concludes.
Shreeum Rakheja and Satvik Soni
Similarly, as lawyers have become one pillar of support, the queer community has become another. Ujjwal Singh, who has been participating in the protests since the beginning, says that the queer community has gone beyond the symbolic idea of simply standing up.
"They have supported the protest by being a part of it. They have supported the movement through social media, financially, food preparation and donation, and legal aid."
Singh believes that this support from the community stems from lived experience of shame, harassment, and hurt from others. "We get involved because we know that if something is going wrong, what we feel from the inside, we know that [feeling]. Because this has happened to us since childhood. Like it has happened to children in the education system, all these things are happening; there is corruption, [and] children are committing suicide."
Parv Kumar
Singh hopes that more people from the queer community get involved in the protest despite the online harassment they have faced for participating in this movement. "You should come, and you should be confident, and you should have power," they state, "If someone misuses your words or targets you, take legal action, but don't let fear stop you from speaking."
Shreeum Rakheja, an influencer, posted stories urging people who are facing difficulties to reach out to her. "I am connecting people with relevant people," says Rakheja, "People reach out for shelter, medical assistance; approximately 1500 people have reached out to me asking for help."
Similarly, Satvik Soni, a filmmaker based in Mumbai, coordinated through his Instagram and assisted the crowd present in Delhi with whatever help they required.
Ujjwal Singh
"I'm mainly boosting a fundraiser for Delhi. They've put together a small fund to help people," Soni says, "A lot of people have reached out to me, mostly asking where to go and how to connect with the right people."
Their efforts showed a broader network of people who're not present on site but used social media to offer material support to those in need, helping sustain the movement. Food is being constantly delivered to Jantar Mantar, gurudwaras and Junaid Bhai's alike are feeding demonstrators.
Rakheja signs off with this, "I must say, and I am only saying this because I have seen this myself, the kind of coordination that people can achieve in this much time is commendable. The level of camaraderie I saw was commendable."
As student protests continue across the country, legal volunteers are encouraging demonstrators to familiarise themselves with their rights before taking to the streets.
>> The first rule is to stay calm and avoid physical resistance, as this can invite additional criminal charges.
>> If stopped by the police, ask whether you are being formally arrested or preventively detained. You have the right to remain silent until your lawyer is present and to have a friend or family member informed of your detention.
>> Women must be handled by female officers, while minors are entitled to have their parents and the Juvenile Justice Board informed before questioning.
>> If your phone is confiscated, ask for a written seizure memo (panchnama) detailing the device. Do not sign any document without reading it.
>> If you are forced to sign under pressure or in a language you do not understand, write "Signed under protest" or "Signed under duress" beside your signature.
>> Most importantly, document everything you can and seek legal assistance immediately.
