Holding babies, raising placards: The parents behind Jantar Mantar’s biggest lesson

On Saturday afternoon, I was on the way to Hauz Khas Village to meet a friend, when my phone buzzed with a notification. “Dharmendra Pradhan resigns” read the Indian Express app alert on my lock screen. I shot a quick text to my friend: “Change of plans. Meet me at Jantar Mantar instead” and requested my auto driver to make a detour to the protest site.Half an hour later, while making my way through a sea of protesters dancing with joy—their ecstatic shouts reaching all the way to Kerala House—I came across a couple from Gurgaon who had made the long journey to join the celebration. “We heard the news and decided to show up. Not just for us, but for our little one,” Shivani pointed to their toddler, Rudranil, in her husband Deb’s lap.As parents, the MNC professionals believe it is their du