Frontline defends Gen Z protests against government crackdown

Frontline's editor's note celebrates the Gen Z-led protests in July, describing them as a joyful rebellion against the government's authoritarian response. The piece contrasts the courage of young protesters with what it calls brutal police action, including the use of pellet guns, lathis studded with nails, and unsanctioned surveillance to identify demonstrators.

The editor argues that the Supreme Court's sanction of "graded use" of pellet guns is insufficient and that police violence was deliberate, citing videos of officers tripping fleeing students and a truck filled with stones near the protest site. The note also criticises the Electoral Commission and the SIR for undermining democratic checks, asserting that protest is the last resort for citizens.

The editor frames the coverage as a necessary counter to mainstream media's focus on the government, portraying Gen Z as Davids who, through memes and audacity, challenge a rogue state. The poem "Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega" is invoked as a promise to remember both the protests and the state's response.