None
EN
Can India’s Cockroach Movement Become a Lasting Political Force?
['Arsalan Bukhari', 'Elliot Waldman', 'Frida Ghitis', 'James Bosworth', 'Paul Poast', 'Judah Grunstein', 'Charli Carpenter', 'Ulrike Franke', 'Mary Gallagher', 'Candace Rondeaux']
World Politics Review
Share this article:XBlueskyFacebookGet Article LinkOn July 25, following weeks of student-led protests, Indian Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.
The demonstrations, sparked by scandals involving two major national examination systems, were led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political movement that emerged after Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant referred to unemployed young people as “cockroaches.”
What began as a digital campaign has since evolved into a full-fledged youth-led protest movement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
But the minister’s departure also raises a larger question: Now that it has achieved its near-term goal, can the CJP sustain its momentum and transform itself from a protest movement into a durable political force?
A Movement Is BornWhen Kant made his comment on May 15 that “youngsters are like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment,” it sparked a political firestorm.