India’s ‘cockroach’ protests explained and what happens next | BBC News

All roads have been barricaded.There's heavy police and security personnel deployment.

Delhi police appeals to all protesters to maintain peace, exercise restraint, and cooperate with the police in ensuring peace and public order.

There is no doubt that India's cockroach janta party is a true protest movement, one able to gather thousands of young Indians together.

This is something unprecedented that we have been witnessing after a long time.

We were so peaceful, we were just asking for justice.What they did, tear gas, this is not right.

Over the next 10 minutes in The Big Story, we'll be on the ground in Delhi where police have been cracking down on protests.We'll explore why millions of young people are taking inspiration from a cockroach.what exactly they're demanding and how much of a threat they pose to the Prime Minister Modi's government.The story revolves around the Cockroach Janata Party, something which started as an online satirical movement but has grown into a serious political challenge.With this AI -generated image is part of the group's slick social media branding, which has helped attract millions of followers online.Our South Asia correspondent Azadeh Mishiri will guide us through your questions starting with what is the cockroach party and why are thousands of young Indians calling themselves cockroaches?

So the name Cockroach Jantar Party might be quite confusing for someone who's never heard it before, but it started about a month ago when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court here in India referred to youngsters who drift towards social media and journalism as cockroaches.Now he insists his words were taken out of context, that he was referring to young people with fake or bogus degrees, but either way, it ignited this movement when Abhijit Dipke, a Boston University student, started some social media It's called Cockroach Janta Party, Cockroach People's Party.And it amassed millions of followers, more followers than the BJP's own social media accounts.That's the ruling party here in India.And since then, it has now proven that it's a true protest movement that can gather thousands of young Indians together.

Well, at the heart of the latest demonstrations is a scandal around alleged leaks of university entrance exams.Well, with millions of candidates competing for a limited number of university places and jobs, a single exam can determine their entire future.So this scandal has caused nationwide uproar.But what do we know about the alleged exam leaks?

say that the cockroach janta party represents a lot of the general dissatisfaction and frustration amongst India's youth.The leak of a national entrance exam to medical colleges across India sparked a lot of anger and for context that is an extremely difficult exam, one that students can spend years studying for and some families even pour their savings into that exam to help their children study for it, because they think that it could lift some of them out of poverty in a country where there aren't many opportunities.And this isn't the first time there have been alleged leaks of exams.There have been a number of controversies when it comes to the education system here.And that's why now students are demanding the resignation of the education minister, as well as other reforms.They're also alleging, some families as well as the Cockroach Janta Party, that 20 students took their own lives after the exam was leaked and after they were forced to reset those exams.

Well, the Cockroach Janta Party is mostly protesting over issues they have with India's education system.They're calling for the education systembe overhauled, with greater accountability over the alleged exam leaks, and for the education minister to take responsibility and resign.But what else, though, are they demanding?

So the corporate Ajanta Party has several demands, and they did meet with a government minister for the first time yesterday, two senior members did.They are asking for the resignation of the education minister here in India.They're asking for an overhaul of the education system.They're also asking for financial compensation for the families who are saying that their children, about 20 students, took their own lives after the leak of the exam paper and the fact that they were forced to re -sit that national exam.But even before this movement, the Cockroach Chanter Party did publish a manifesto with a list of other demands, including, for example, 50 % representation for women in Parliament.

Well, the protest movement gathered fresh momentum when this man, Sonam Wanchuk, one of India's best known activists, began a hunger strike in solidarity with the protesters.Well, over the weekend, on the 21st day of his hunger strike, police dragged him into an ambulance and took him to a government hospital against his will.The police said it was to protect his health.His wife condemned it as illegal detention.Here's Azadeh on the influence he has and why his involvement actually matters.matters.

and taken to a government hospital.He'd lost more than nine kilos at that point.Now, his wife had demanded that he be released.He wanted to, in fact, join the protests here this week as well.He's now been moved to a private hospital.But he has said that he will not stop his hunger strike until the education minister resigns and until these protesters' voices are heard by the government.

Tens of thousands of young men and women turned up for Monday's protest, defying a police ban as they tried to march on Parliament.Central Delhi witnessed overwhelming violence, with at least 60 protesters wounded when police used batons and tear gas on them.Policemen also tore down the stage and makeshift tents at the main protest venue.Police said 118 of their personnel were also injured and 70 protesters have been detained.Opposition parties have condemned the violence, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi hasn't commented on the nature of the crackdown.So how is it being covered by India's media?

So a lot of protesters are deeply frustrated by the way that the Coco Chanta Party's protest and movement is being covered in India.They are saying that national media is not covering this the way they should be.And it is true that broadcast media is not covering this to the same extent as content creators are, digital media houses are.The accusation is that these are pro -government television houses who are refusing to give such an anti -government protest.as much attention.And in fact, as we've been covering this the last few days, and in fact a month ago at the very first protest, we've seen protesters suddenly surround journalists that they believe work for pro -government media houses and chase them out.

Well, the movement has broadened into one of the most visible expressions of public dissent against Prime MinisterModi.Monday's police crackdown has not stopped the demonstrations.This was the scene today.Thousands of protesters again taking to the streets of the capital to demand accountability and change.The Hindu nationalist government has spent years cultivating an image of stability.

But this growing youth movement is proving a major political headache.Here's the CJP's main spokesperson speaking to the BBC.

The kind of gathering that we saw here was historic.It was bigger than probably any protest that we have ever seen.And that is precisely because the youth of this country is feeling a sense of hopelessness.But they see this movement as their only hope out of this misery.

So how much pressure is Narendra Modi now facing?Here's Azadeh again.

Now, we've seen Gen Z protest movements in countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.I've covered the elections that followed those protests and brought in new governments this year.But when I spoke to the founder of the Cockroach Janata Party, he insisted that this is altogether different.He is really insisting that this is a peaceful protest movement at heart.How much of a threat is it to the Narendra Modi government?Well, that remains to be seen.

But this is the largest scale protest the capital has seen in years.And after weeks of protesting, the government felt the need to respond in some way.A minister did meet with two senior members of the cockroach junta party.But have they responded specifically to the demands that are being made?Not so far.They are saying that they've been investigating the leak.

But in terms of whether it could displace Narendra Modi, well, that's hard to imagine for a government that has been in power for more than 12 years now.

Well, the Cockroach Shanta Party began, as we said, as a satirical online campaign, but it's evolved into a national protest movement capable of drawing tens of thousands of people online.streets and it has far -reaching aims from reforming the country's education system to putting a stop to corruption.The huge turnout at the recent protests, subsequent scenes of violence and the CJP's refusal to back down are likely to keep the movement in the spotlight.So what happens next?

I was here at the same venue about a month ago when the Cockroach Shanty Party organised its very first protest.And it has just swollen in support.When I spoke to the chief spokesperson, he said that they are planning to come out tomorrow and the rest of this week.They weren't expecting it to be as large as it is now, but they're certainly going to keep turning up.And as far as what their movement will do, right now they are focusing on education reform, on the resignation of the education minister.do see themselves as a real vehicle now that will continue to represent the frustrations of young Indians.

So this is the last we'll have seen of them.

And that is Azadeh Mishiri.And that's all we need to know about the protests in India and the rise of the cockroach janta party.