A teenager at the protest

Before July 24, R was a fifteen-year-old preoccupied with makeup, homework and friends. That month she went to Jantar Mantar in Delhi to join student protests demanding education reform.

An eleven-second video changes everything

An eleven-second video clip from the protest site showed R making crude and profane remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The clip went viral and upended her life.

The protests spread beyond education

The summer agitation had demanded the ousting of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan over repeated examination paper leaks. After a violent police crackdown, anger spilled over to the Modi government.

Pro-government media seizes on the language

The language at Jantar Mantar was often profane and sexualised. Pro-government media ran heated debates condemning the protesters. Women were singled out and doxed by BJP supporters from social media clips.

A police case is filed

A police case was filed against R for insult intended to provoke a breach of the peace, and statements that could lead to public mischief and defamation. The complainant asked her to publicly apologise.

Modi calls for forgiveness

After Pradhan resigned, Modi posted on Instagram about vulgar abuse by some mischievous children, saying it was a cultural shock. He said the children must be forgiven, not punished.

“It is a cultural shock. How can our daughters speak like this?”

R issues an apology video

R filmed an apology video standing against a white wall in a striped T-shirt, hands folded in namaste. She said she was ashamed and apologised to the whole nation. The complainant withdrew the police case.

“I am so ashamed of saying those things that I am not even able to raise my eyes.”

The abuse intensifies after the apology

Despite her apology, R received rape and death threats, abusive phone calls, incessant text warnings and cars outside her apartment building in a Delhi suburb. Her phone and address were leaked.

Threats escalate with bounties

People older than her mother called her randi, aatankwadi and deshdrohi. Others offered Rs eleven thousand to find her and Rs twenty-one thousand to beat her. R could not understand what was happening.

“People older than my mother were calling me randi (prostitute), aatankwadi (terrorist), deshdrohi (enemy of the state).”

R and her mother forced to flee

R and her mother left their home.They struggled to find landlords willing to rent them a place.They moved from apartment to apartment.Her mother lost tutoring income and sold gold jewellery to pay for moves.

The financial crisis deepens

R's mother estimates the money from selling her gold jewellery will last another four months. She is desperately searching for work. R has not been to school and can no longer imagine returning.

R speaks out about her suffering

In late August, frustrated by another media crew, R uploaded a video to social media. She addressed Modi directly, saying her life had become hell and she could not go anywhere or live anywhere.

“Modiji, my life has become hell. Now I can't go anywhere, neither do I have any freedom.”

Eighty-six days later, still trapped

It has been eighty-six days since the protest.R does not leave home over safety concerns.She feels solidarity with students in new protests over electoral rolls revision but cannot join them because of her mother.

“To make someone homeless overnight is a big deal.”

R looks ahead to her future

R had planned to cut her birthday cake inside an autorickshaw for her fifteenth birthday. Now she wants to look ahead and do well in her board exams. Her past is not in her hands.

“My past is not in my hands. I can't change that. Now, I just want to look ahead and do well in my board exams.”