New Delhi: Seventeen-year-old Saurav Kushwaha travelled overnight from his village in Madhya Pradesh to New Delhi, carrying little more than a change of clothes. Accompanied by his elder brother, he arrived in the capital early on Saturday and spent the morning resting on a footpath while waiting for activist Abhijeet Dipke to join the gathering from the United States.
Kushwaha is one of hundreds of young Indians who have rallied behind the emerging “Cockroach Janata Party” (CJP), a satirical political movement that has rapidly transformed from an online joke into a platform for youth frustration over education-related issues.
The movement gained momentum after comments by India’s Chief Justice, who reportedly compared young people to cockroaches, sparking widespread criticism. In response, Dipke, a recent graduate of Boston University, posted a question on social media: “What if all cockroaches came together?”
The remark struck a chord with millions of young Indians. What began as an online protest soon evolved into the Cockroach Janata Party—a tongue-in-cheek reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The movement quickly gained viral attention, amassing more than 22 million followers on Instagram.
Behind the satire lies growing dissatisfaction among India’s youth. With nearly half of the country’s 1.4 billion people under the age of 25, concerns over examination paper leaks, alleged irregularities in school board assessments, and broader education system challenges have fueled discontent.
At a gathering in New Delhi on Saturday, Dipke and his supporters demanded the resignation of the country’s education minister.
“Our message to the government is simple,” Dipke told the crowd. “The education minister must resign, or we will continue our protest.”
For students like Kushwaha, who recently completed his Class 12 examinations under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the movement reflects deeper frustrations. Recent controversies surrounding discrepancies in examination evaluations and digital marking practices have only intensified calls for accountability.
What started as a viral social media joke has now become a symbol of youth activism, with participants seeking greater transparency and reform in India’s education system
