From Meme to Capital Shutdown: Anatomy of the Cockroach Janta Party Digital Rebellion | Today’s news
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a satirical political outfit whose name was said to have been inspired by a remark made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, is set to stage another protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar today.
Saturday’s protest, which comes days after the group staged a protest in Bengaluru, marks another step in the CJP’s journey from online satire to street mobilisation.
Read also | CJP protest live updates: CJP says Jantar Mantar protest will continue
As authorities take around 500 people into preventive detention, 50 of them with criminal antecedents, here’s a look at the CJP’s origins and how a meme handle became a movement whose protest call sparked widespread restrictions in Delhi.
Beginning of CJP
In May this year, CJI Kant called a lawyer seeking direction for the appointment of a Senior Advocate and compared some unemployed activists to “cockroaches” and “parasites” who attack the system after being unable to find employment. Kant remarked, “There are already parasites in the society who are attacking the system and you (lawyer) want to join them? There are youths like cockroaches who will not get any job or have any place in the profession. Some of them will become media, some will become social media, RTI activists and other activists and start attacking everyone.”
Read also | ‘Young as cockroaches’: CJI Surya Kant raps lawyer, files contempt petition
After facing a backlash over his statement, the CJI issued a clarification saying he had been misquoted by the media and that his criticism was aimed at people who enter professions with bogus or bogus degrees. By then, the remark had already sparked an online response. Abhijeet Dipke wrote: “What if all cockroaches come together?” and subsequently created the website and social media accounts for the Cockroach Janta Party. Dipke’s first post, a reaction to Kant’s remarks, went viral and millions of Indians joined the satirical group to express their frustration over the NEET-UG paper leak and the country’s high unemployment rate.
A look at the CJP digital network
Similar to the Gen Z protesters in Nepal who organized a movement using social media platforms and succeeded in toppling the government in Kathmandu, Dipke’s CJP is mobilizing India’s youth using the one tool available to almost everyone today that has captured much of our attention: social media. From Discord and Reddit to Instagram and X, the satirical outfit has left no stone unturned when it comes to mobilizing youth seeking structural reforms in the country.
In addition, the group highlighted issues such as unemployment and exam paper leaks, moving its campaign from online discussions to street protests.
Read also | Jantar Mantar CJP Protest: Dipke, Ranka, Das reach Delhi
While many thought the online anger of Dipke and the CJP would soon die down and have no repercussions in the offline world, the group moved from online mobilization to staging protests in the national capital that continued for more than a month into July, garnering support from students over exam paper leaks and demanding education reforms.
July CJP protests
Since returning from the United States in June, where he was pursuing his master’s degree, Dipke was present at the Jantar Mantar in the state capital as the demonstrations continued, urging protesters to maintain calm. As the group demonstrated for nearly a month, they received support from climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who began an indefinite hunger strike in solidarity with the students. People across age groups have also extended their support to Dipke and the outfit.
On 20 July, protesters held a ‘Chalo Sansad’ march to coincide with the first day of the monsoon session. Delhi witnessed chaotic scenes as dozens of protesters were detained and the Delhi Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) used tear gas and resorted to lathi charge to stop the march towards Parliament. Amid growing opposition, the Center agreed to meet the founders of the CJP. A few days later, Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as the Union Education Minister.
Read also | Dharmendra Pradhan ends: Jantar Mantara celebrations on Saturday
After Pradhan’s resignation, the organization called off its protests but continued to seek reforms, including reforms in schools under the “School Thik Karo” campaign. The CJP protests on October 10 came as opposition parties and several student wings joined hands to seek the resignation of Gyanesh Kumar.
