Commentary: India’s ‘cockroach’ youth are proving hard to crush
The establishment just does not know how to deal with a generation of irreverent, frustrated young people, says former foreign correspondent Nirmal Ghosh.
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is grappling with a second wave of protests led by young, irreverent individuals seeking to challenge the establishment. The movement, known as the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), originated from a perceived slight in May when Chief Justice Surya Kant compared unemployed youth engaging in activism with "cockroaches." The CJP gained traction quickly, amassing millions of followers on Instagram and turning the label into a powerful movement.
The protests began in June over examination scandals and culminated in the resignation of the education minister in July. However, the stakes are now higher as the protesters aim to remove India’s election chief. Tens of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in the capital, resulting in arrests and detentions of CJP leaders and protesters. Despite these crackdowns, the protests remained undeterred, with leaders and activists returning to the streets.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government perceives the youth-led protests as a significant threat, and they are taking action to quash the movement. Janta Party leaders were recently detained at the airport and sent to jail for five days for attempting to enter a prominent protest site. The Delhi Union of Journalists filed a petition before the Supreme Court over alleged detention, assault, and obstruction of journalists.
The movement has gained widespread support, transcending social barriers such as gender, caste, religion, and class. The protests have forced the government to reconsider its stance on several issues, including the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to verify and revise electoral rolls. The SIR exercise, which has affected the outcome of elections in West Bengal, may have contributed to the BJP's recent electoral victory in May.
The youth movement, while presenting a significant challenge to the BJP's credibility and stability, is likely to persist despite potential risks such as violence and disunity within the leadership.
Written by urgent.news from Channel News Asia's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
