India, Oct. 12 -- Till the early 1990s, Jantar Mantar, an 18th century astronomical observatory built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur, was a part of the list of places to sightsee in Delhi, and school students were taken there for annual excursions. In fact, the Misra Yantra inside the Jantar Mantar observatory complex was the inspiration behind the logo of the Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1982.

But Jantar Mantar was not always associated with protesters and posters or barricades and banners. In fact, Boat Club lawns were the preferred protest site, and in 1988, farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait led the most significant protest there that lasted a week and saw lakhs of people. Five years later, protests and rallies were ba...