One of the more visible shortcomings of Delhi’s student protest was the lack of physical space to contain a population that spilled out beyond Jantar Mantar and clogged neighbouring streets around Parliament and Connaught Place. What was meant to be a peaceful student protest turned, for many reasons, into an act of civil disobedience.
The primary reason, of course, was the venue itself. Jantar Mantar was never meant for public demonstrations. The original protest site of Boat Club was changed some years ago, when govt realised that Central Vista crowds could not be easily contained. A narrow road was preferable for police to create a quick public stranglehold, if things got out of hand.