Monday, November 10, 2025

'Bacche saans nahi lete?' Delhiites Protest at India Gate for Clean Air

 

Delhi citizens gather at India Gate demanding clean air and protesting toxic pollution levels.

The Protest That Shook Delhi

On November 9–10, 2025, hundreds of Delhi residents — parents, children, and environmental activists — gathered at India Gate demanding one simple right: clean air to breathe.

Placards read:

  • “I miss breathing.”

  • “Bacche saans nahi lete?” (Don’t children need to breathe?)”

  • “We want clean air, not excuses.”

The peaceful protest reflected Delhi’s frustration as its Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 400 in several areas, marking yet another “severe” pollution day.


What Triggered the Movement

The event was spontaneous — parents worried for their children’s health as schools closed and smog thickened. Doctors have warned that breathing Delhi’s toxic air is equivalent to smoking 10–15 cigarettes a day.

Despite no formal permission, the citizens gathered at India Gate, where police later detained several protestors for violating public assembly norms.


Delhi’s Air Quality Crisis

  • Delhi’s AQI hovered between 350–450, one of the world’s worst.

  • Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicle emissions, and construction dust added to the toxic mix.

  • The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was enforced, but citizens called it “too little, too late.”


What the Protesters Demanded

  1. Immediate and transparent government action on air pollution.

  2. Health protection for children and elderly citizens.

  3. Stricter emission control and cleaner public transport.

  4. Real-time air quality data accessible to the public.


The Police Response

Delhi Police said the protest had no prior permission, and while it remained mostly peaceful, “a few individuals were detained for crowd control.” Organisers claimed they only wanted to raise awareness and not create unrest.


Why It Matters

When parents march with their children asking for breathable air, it’s no longer a protest — it’s a cry for survival.
The India Gate demonstration shows that clean air is not a privilege — it’s a fundamental right.


Conclusion

Delhi’s pollution crisis has become a yearly headline, but this protest gave it a human face — children with masks, parents holding inhalers, citizens asking the simplest of questions:

“If our children can’t breathe, what future are we protecting?”

This movement may be just the beginning of a larger push for environmental justice in India’s capital.

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