# Abandoned footwear becomes a record of India’s protests and suffering 2026-08-06T18:11:02+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Hindustan Times uses abandoned and damaged footwear to trace India’s recent political history, from migrant workers walking home during the 2020 lockdown to farmers facing nails and razor wire on roads into Delhi. Shoes left outside banks during demonetisation and at Shaheen Bagh became symbols of citizens’ presence and hardship. The account also recalls protesters’ footwear scattered near Delhi’s Constitution Club, Sansad Marg and Jantar Mantar on July 20, 2026, after they ran from lathi charges and teargas. Through photographs, artworks and literary references, the article presents footwear as both an everyday object and a record of survival, protest and state power. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Delhi, demonetisation, Farmers, footwear, migrant workers, protests Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/abandoned-footwear-becomes-a-record-of-indias-protests-and-suffering/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/abandoned-footwear-becomes-a-record-of-indias-protests-and-suffering/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.