Gen Z In Their New Avatar- Are The Cockroaches Setting The Narrative?

Picture : ANI/X

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led ‘GenZ’ protests are widely seen as a success story, and with reason. A decentralised, ideologically agnostic mobilisation converged on a singular demand: the resignation of the Union Education Minister. CJP’s July 20 “Sansad Chalo” march was triggered by the Chief Justice of India’s denigration of unemployed youth as cockroaches and the repeated leaks of question papers relating to the National Examination cum Entrance Test and other exams.

The victory seems to be more relevant because the protesters had forced the Narendra Modi government to do what it abhors: appear weak by making a concession. This win also came at a significant conjuncture. After 12 years in power, it had begun to seem as if India’s ruling elite occupied a celestial realm insulated from the democratic claim-making of ordinary Indians struggling with petty indignities in a nether world rife with corruption and decay. Communication had become one-way — downward from the top. It was hence a major triumph to send a message back in the other direction.

Almost overnight, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image as Vishwaguru and a renowned world statesman honoured by countries with their highest civilian awards was transformed into that of an inhumane, authoritarian ruler who gets his security forces to lathi-charge and fire tear gas shells and pellet guns at educated, unemployed students belonging to every religious community and caste, very many of them women, marching peacefully towards Parliament.

The CJP’s ( founder Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka are suddenly on lips of many people )  growth has been phenomenal, as it attracted tens of thousands of online members and approximately 2 crore Instagram followers within 60 days of its founding on May 16, 2026. Also remarkable is the wide spectrum of support it has received, most notably from reputed educationists and environmentalists such as Sonam Wangchuk; student organisations such as the All India Students’ Association, the Students’ Federation of India, and the All India Students’ Federation; political leaders such as AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, CPI(M)’s Brinda Karat, independent leader Kapil Sibal, Trinamool Congress’ Mahua Moitra and Sagarika Ghose, and Congress’ Rahul Gandhi; film actors such as Dia Mirza, Genelia Deshmukh, Richa Chadha, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, and Vir Das; and social activists such as Anna Hazare. It has also received support from religious communities across the spectrum, particularly Sikhs, whose gurdwaras have provided food, water, medication, and shelter to those injured by the brutality of the police and security forces.

The CJP’s biggest success thus far is in dissipating the long prevalent and widespread fear of the CBI, Enforcement Directorate etc. and in securing the resignation of the then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This is the first time there has been a change of this magnitude in response to public pressure in Modi’s 12-years of authoritarian rule. Although the CJP’s prime focus was on the 152 paper leaks, seeking justice for the 18-21 students who died by suicide, and thousands of Gen Z lives that have been disrupted in the last 12 years, its concerns have been much wider.

The strength of our movement lies in peace and nonviolence.

Proud of every Cockroach Janta Party supporter who has shown remarkable resilience, courage, and patience despite the brutal crackdown by the Govt.

We will win this with love and peace❤️

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) July 22, 2026

What makes the CJP unusual, however, is not simply its scale but the nature and breadth of its grievance. Long-simmering frustration over the state’s lack of accountability created the conditions for this “implosion”. Unlike many of the biggest protests against government over the past decade – whether over citizenship, farm laws or other contentious policies – this movement is not fundamentally about ideology. Nor is it rooted in the interests of a single community or social group.

Happy Independence Day 🇮🇳

Let this be the reminder that we still have a long way to go.#JaiHind pic.twitter.com/vEmAPfbNEZ

— Abhijeet Dipke (@abhijeet_dipke) August 14, 2026

Though the young have shown their angst and their disgust, only time will tell Whether that energy can endure. It will depend on many factors, including state repression, media blackouts, leadership challenges and the difficulty of building a broad social coalition.