Cockroach Janta Party: 10 Iconic Indian Public Movements - From Total Revolution to Farmers' Protest

Climate activist and educator Sonam Wangchuk ended her 26-day hunger strike on Friday. The Ladakh-based activist’s fast helped fuel a youth-led movement that grew into one of India’s biggest protests in recent years, prompting Narendra Modi’s government to reach out to protesters and promise action on their demands.

Following Sonam’s decision, protesters under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) vowed to continue until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns – their main demand of many.

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Wangchuk’s fast became a rallying point for India’s “Cockroach” protests that began more than a month ago demanding education reforms after the NEET paper was leaked.

Quick answers to key questions

•5 QUESTIONS

The CJP is demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, compensation of ₹1 million to the families of children who died by suicide and no prosecution of peaceful protesters during the march to Parliament.

Sonam Wangchuk ended her 26-day hunger strike after protracted negotiations and in light of possible violence to prioritize safety and well-being while still advocating the demands of the protesters.

In response to the NEET protest paper leak allegations, the government announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear related cases and promised tougher action against those responsible for the leaks.

The CJP’s current protests relate to India’s historical protests such as Anna Hazare’s 2011 anti-corruption movement and the Farmers’ Protests (2020–2021), both advocating greater accountability and reforms.

Students should consider continuing their protests to demand accountability and reform, as their collective action has been a critical factor in raising their concerns and influencing government responses.

Since then, the movement has morphed into India’s biggest protests in years, producing shocking videos featuring angry young voices and tapping into broader public anger over unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunity.

“Our protest will continue until Dharmendra Pradhan resigns,” said Abhijeet Dipke, a US-returned CJP founder who led protests at Jantar Mantar, a designated agitation site in central Delhi.

Large-scale protests for more than a month

The large-scale protests that began on June 20 and saw violent clashes between police and students last week prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release his own FaceTime-style video promising strict action against those responsible for the exam paper leaks.

India is no stranger to protests. In fact, India as a nation is steeped in a rich tradition of social and political transformation through protest, from the historic Salt Satyagraha march to Dandi led by Mahatma Gandhi to the Anna Hazare movement of 2011. The famous farmers’ protest of 2020-21 led the government to withdraw controversial land laws.

Protest is a fundamental right in a democracy that allows citizens to register dissent, demand accountability, and effect change in public policy.

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The struggle for independence is part of India’s protest culture. From the Chipko environmental movement to the Mandal Commission protests against caste reservations, the right to protest has been India’s democratic lifeline.

Here’s a look at India’s iconic post-independence protest movements:

1-JP Movement (1974–1975): Led by freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan (JP) in Bihar and Gujarat, advocating Sampoorna Kranti (Total Revolution) against government corruption and unemployment, which eventually led to a national opposition against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi that directly preceded the 1975 Emergency.

2-Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement (2011): Anna Hazare-led hunger strike and urban mobilization at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi and Ramlila Maidan demanding a Jan Lokpal Bill to combat systemic political graft eventually led to the enactment of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill in 2013.

A movement called India Against Corruption (IAC) eventually led to the formation of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by Arvind Kejriwal, who became the Chief Minister of Delhi for 11 years.

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3-Mandal Commission Protests (1990): The 1990 Mandal Commission protests were large-scale, student demonstrations in India sparked by Prime Minister VP Singh’s decision to introduce 27% job reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

4-Farmers’ Protests (2020–2021): Large-scale mobilization of farmers’ unions on the Delhi border against controversial farm laws. The protests eventually resulted in the eventual repeal of the controversial laws, a decision announced in a televised address to the nation.

5-Chipko Movement (1973): Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance in Uttarakhand, where villagers hugged trees to prevent commercial logging, setting a precedent for community-based forest conservation.

6-Narmada Bachao Andolan (1985): A sustained multi-pronged campaign led by Medha Patkar and Baba Amte against the social and ecological dislocation caused by large dam projects along the Narmada River.

The movement has challenged the forced displacement of marginalized communities without equitable restoration and highlights the serious environmental impacts of major infrastructure projects.

7-Assam Movement (1979–1985): The movement was a mass civil disobedience uprising demanding the detection and deportation of illegal immigrants, primarily from Bangladesh. Led by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the AAGSP, this culminated in the historic Assam Accord of 1985, which set 24 March 1971 as the cut-off date for granting citizenship.

8-Ram Janmabhoomi Movement (1980-90s): The Ram Janmabhoomi Movement was a decades-long socio-political and religious campaign led by Hindu nationalist organizations (Sangh Parivar) demanding the construction of a temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) started a mass movement to “liberate” the site and build a large temple. On 6 December 1992, the movement took a radical turn when a large mob of kar sevaks (volunteers) demolished the Babri Masjid, sparking nationwide communal violence.

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The movement culminated in a historic 2019 Supreme Court verdict awarding the disputed site to Hindus. The Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was officially inaugurated and its main idol consecrated on 22 January 2024.

9- Nirbhaya Protests 2012: The 2012 protests were a historic nationwide public uprising in India triggered by the brutal gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student on a moving bus in New Delhi on 16 December 2012.

The unprecedented scale of the protests forced the government to reform laws against crimes against women.

Protest is a fundamental right in a democracy that allows citizens to register dissent, demand accountability, and effect change in public policy.

10-Shaheen Bagh Protests: Thesr anti-CAA proetests was a historic, women-led, 24/7 sit-in in New Delhi that began on December 15, 2019. Thousands of women occupied the main highway connecting Delhi with Noida to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NPRC) and the National Register of Citizens

The movement lasted 101 days and gained worldwide attention before it was scrapped on March 23, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.