The massive gathering of academicians, students and workers were united in demanding the unconditional release of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar during their peaceful protest march on Thursday, but the rally also had several interesting sidelights. 

Some protestors had brought along their children. Even some as young as 2 years held placards which read "JNU pe hamla band karo”. The children were also forced to hold flags, much to their discomfiture. 

The loud and vociferous sloganeering upset many kids who started weeping. Many students were seen openly smoking at public places inconveniencing passersby. They justified it saying it is an indispensable part of JNU’s culture and those who don’t smoke are considered backward. 

The shopkeeper outside the Parliament Street police station said he sold more cigarettes in half an hour than he normally sells all year round.

"All of them are buying cigarettes and particularly the girls are asking for flavoured ones," he said. 

"Even if we have to smoke we avoid public places and look for corners unlike these students," said a rag-picker looking on curiously from a distance. 

Most of the students were in groups pre-occupied in their own conversations and hardly listened to their teachers and student leaders who were addressing them. 

"We expected some live action like water-cannon, lathicharge, manhandling, groping but it’s a dead protest as everything is going peacefully. We are a bit disappointed," said a girl student of JNU maintaining anonymity. 

"Why do you need to know my name?" she asked. 

The students said they are fed up of listening to long lectures by student leaders and teachers and want something different.

"We are here for a cause, not to listen to our leaders and teachers. Moreover they have nothing new to say or add to their everlasting lectures," said a JNU student.

Another group was seen advocating the alleged anti-national sloganeering by a few students which is at the core of the whole controversy, holding up posters and placards saying "I am Umar ". 

Umar Khalid, the absconding JNU student, was allegedly the organiser of the controversial cultural programme on 9 February and reportedly raised antinational slogans. 

"Yes we have freedom of speech and expression and nobody can curtail that, if ‘Umar’ is wrong then I am also Umar, arrest me if you have it in you", said one of the protestors. 

"Umar is our hero. He is the real role model of JNU. Hail ‘Umar’ we are proud of you !", said another girl student of the group. 

These students said they do not believe in the concept of ‘Mother India’ which is only right wing propaganda and there is no harm in eating beef. 

"If it suits our palate then who cares for these weak and feeble animals and nonsense animal right activists."

Foreign students, who joined in the protest, said they only came at the instance of their Indian friends who said "JNU is in great danger". 

They said they accompanied their fellow students on their repeated requests. 

"They made us sit in buses which left from ‘Ganga Dhaba’ saying that outside forces are curtailing their right to eat beef and have arrested their president for saying the right thing," said a foreign student.