New Delhi: With thousands of CJP protesters detained across Delhi over the last two days, an informal but fast-growing network of volunteers, medical professionals, lawyers and online creators has emerged to assist detainees and their families, PTI reported.
The effort, coordinated largely through Instagram and other social media platforms, connects people in custody with transport, medicines, legal representation and counselling. It combines individual offers of help with organised groups that have begun pooling resources and information.
Support Groups Take Shape
A CJP volunteer said the initiative began after volunteers who had helped protesters on Saturday met to organise their work. More than 130 people are now involved, according to the volunteer.
“We have about 130-plus people working on this initiative now. So I thought it was time to just turn it into a thing,” the volunteer said in a video explaining the plan to bring separate support groups together.
Among the initiatives is a “Detainee Ghar Wapsi Yojana”, intended to arrange transport and essential supplies for protesters heading home after release. The Immediate Response First Aid Network, or IRFAN, has brought doctors and volunteers together to treat injured demonstrators.
A separate initiative, PAUSE — short for People Are Under Systemic Exhaustion — seeks to link protesters dealing with trauma or burnout to therapists willing to provide mental-health support.
Legal And Ground Support
The volunteer also outlined plans for teams to scout locations, brief journalists and creators about developments, and collect and circulate verified updates. A legal-aid network is being created to connect detainees and relatives with lawyers.
“The lawyers, we need you,” the volunteer said, urging more legal professionals to join.
Organisers are trying to bring together different volunteer groups working separately. They plan to create a central team and appoint contact persons for each type of help.
The volunteer said the network now covers Delhi-NCR because detainees have been taken to stadiums, hospitals and other places.
“We are going to be more efficient so that wherever you are, we are there,” the volunteer said.
Individuals Join Effort
Outside these organised groups, social media users have offered direct help. One person identifying as a doctor said they would be available near Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to assist injured protesters. Volunteers and lawyers have also shared contact details for families and detainees.
The support network has taken shape amid a massive security operation. Delhi Police blocked protesters from reaching Jantar Mantar on Saturday after denying permission for the gathering, deploying more than 30,000 police and paramilitary personnel across the capital.
CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka were detained soon after arriving in Delhi, while over 7,000 protesters were held at multiple locations. This besides, former chief ministers Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Pinarayi Vijayan and Manik Sarkar were among the opposition leaders detained while trying to join the protest.
The CJP and opposition parties are seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging irregularities in the Election Commission’s functioning and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.