Chief Justice Surya Kant called India’s unemployed youth “cockroaches” during a May 15 Supreme Court hearing. Two months later, that insult is the name of the country’s biggest youth protest movement, and police are using tear gas to contain it.
Digital strategist Abhijeet Dipke registered the Cockroach Janta Party the next day, a parody of the ruling BJP. It picked up 25,000 members within 48 hours. Since June 6, supporters have held a sit-in at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar — students, working professionals, some with kids in tow — demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign.
The immediate cause: India’s national medical entrance exam, NEET, was cancelled in May after its question paper leaked, forcing more than two million students to retake it. A second scandal hit soon after, in how the CBSE board handled on-screen exam marking, leaving thousands of students still without results.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk joined the protest with a hunger strike in late June; police removed him by force. On Sunday, officers used batons and tear gas to stop CJP supporters marching on Parliament. By Thursday, the government had ordered telecom companies to cut mobile internet around the protest site, Reuters reported.
The movement hasn’t dropped its humor despite the crackdown. In Mumbai, protesters adapted Norway’s “Viking Row” chant, swapping “ro” for “resign.” CJP says the protest continues until Pradhan steps down.
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