# From sedition to anthem: The many lives of ‘Azadi’ in India’s youth protests

https://mins.news/en/item/23076

- Al Jazeera, 2026-08-15 15:25 UTC
- Politics
- Original: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/8/15/sedition-to-anthem-many-lives-of-aazadi-chants-in-indias-youth-protests?traffic_source=rss

> A decade after student leaders were jailed for shouting “Azadi”, meaning freedom, the slogan has returned as an anthem of student protests challenging Narendra Modi’s government. Its path from Pakistan’s feminist movement and Kashmiri resistance into India’s mainstream mirrors the evolution of dissent and student activism under Modi, including the 2016 JNU controversy and arrests.