Cockroach protest was the boy who yelled about the emperor’s new clothes
· Scroll
Visit extonnews.click for more information.
On June 6, I wrote in this newsletter that many were watching the advent of the Cockroach Janta Party with caution even as it rapidly garnered a massive social media following – mostly comprising the young. The scepticism was based on the political campaign’s amorphous positions on the key problems India faces and a concern that the youth movement could get co-opted by forces beyond its control.
I did not imagine then that the movement would, in a matter of weeks, force Prime Minister Narendra to sack Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and take responsibility for the alleged irregularities in competitive examinations under his watch.
Through June, the Cockroach Janta Party had held events in cities across India to demand the resignation of Pradhan. It made few headlines. But that changed on July 18 when the police forced activist Sonam Wangchuk into hospital, three weeks into his hunger strike in support of the students’ demands.
The movement got turbocharged.
On July 20, as protesters gathered to march to Parliament, security personnel fired tear gas and lathi-charged them in central Delhi. Several were injured. The police also used dangerous pellet guns against the demonstrators. Four people were hit. One may lose an eye.
The action of the police, which reports to the Narendra Modi government, was widely condemned. Support...