Before you go
Safety & your rights.
Most of what goes wrong at a large gathering is heat, separation, and a dead phone — not the thing you're picturing. Sort those three first.
4 things
Do this
Carry ID and a photo of it
Keep a government ID and your student ID. Photograph both and send them to someone you trust, so a copy exists even if your phone doesn't stay with you.
Write one phone number on your arm
Pick someone who is not at the protest. If your phone dies or is taken, a number on skin is the only contact you still have.
Go with at least one other person
Agree on a meeting point and a time to regroup before you arrive. Phone networks get congested exactly when you need them.
Water, ORS, and something to eat
Delhi in these months is genuinely dangerous to stand in for hours. Heat, not anything else, is the most common reason people need medical help at gatherings.
3 things
Know this
You may film in a public place
Recording in a public space is generally permitted. Being asked to stop is not the same as being legally required to. Keep a copy backed up off your device where you can.
Check for prohibitory orders
Central Delhi frequently has orders restricting assembly of five or more people. Whether one is in force on a given day changes the legal picture. Check the day's police notification before you go.
If you are detained
You are entitled to know the grounds, to inform someone of your whereabouts, and to speak to a lawyer. Detention is not arrest. Stay calm, do not resist physically, and ask that your contact be informed.
3 things
Don't do this
Don't forward what you haven't checked
Screenshots without a source are how a small incident becomes a panic. If it isn't on this site or an official handle, sit on it for twenty minutes.
Don't engage with people trying to start something
Move away and tell an organiser or volunteer. A single scuffle is what ends up representing an entire day in the coverage.
Don't bring anyone who can't leave quickly
That includes children and anyone with a condition that heat, crowding, or a long walk would make worse.
If you are stopped
Stay boring.
Ask what this is
Detention and arrest are different things with different rules. Ask which one is happening and on what grounds. Ask calmly, once.
Get word out
You are entitled to have someone informed of where you are. Give the number you memorised, not the one in your phone.
Don't sign what you haven't read
Read it. If you can't read it, say so and ask for it to be read to you before you sign anything.
Don't resist physically
Whatever the merits, physical resistance changes the charge and the story. Comply, note the details, contest it afterwards.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your situation depends on facts we don't have, and on whether prohibitory orders are in force that day. For actual advice, contact a lawyer or the Legal Services Authority helpline on 15100.