What is India’s Gen-Z ‘cockroach’ movement and why is it a worry for Modi?
The "Cockroach Janta Party", led by 30-year-old Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke, draws support from young people frustrated by a lack of jobs.
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
What started out as a social media joke among Gen Z is turning into an irritant for the political establishment in India, as the "Cockroach Janta Party" draws support from young people frustrated by a lack of jobs and a string of controversies in the education system.
Less than a month after being formed, the mock political party had already amassed more than 22 million followers on Instagram - more than twice that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party.
The CJP’s founder, Boston University graduate Abhijeet Dipke, returned to India from the US on Saturday (Jun 6) and led a youth protest in New Delhi calling for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
His visit will provide an early test of whether the party’s online popularity can be translated into political support on the ground in a country with one of the world’s youngest populations.
WHAT IS THE "COCKROACH" MOVEMENT?
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
The satirical movement emerged on May 16 after India’s top judge, Surya Kant, referred to some unemployed young people as "parasites" and "cockroaches" during a court hearing. His remarks sparked backlash on social media, although Kant later said he had been misquoted by sections of the media.
At the time, Dipke was finishing his graduate studies in the US and looking for a job. He responded to the controversial comments by creating a parody website for the “Cockroach Janta Party,” billing it as a home for India’s "lazy, unemployed and forgotten" and a voice for "millions of young Indians who feel neglected by traditional politics".
The website quickly went viral. Dipke has since sought to channel that anger into activism, seizing on a series of examination scandals to highlight what he sees as a deeper crisis in India’s education system and to challenge the political status quo.
The 30-year-old, who previously worked as a communications strategist for the opposition Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, has downplayed his political ambitions.
He said it’s "too early" to say whether his movement could eventually become a registered political party that fields candidates and contests elections, but that he wants to convert the CJP into "a kind of a pressure group that holds the government accountable".
WHY IS THERE GROWING GEN Z ANGER IN INDIA?
While India is the world’s fastest-growing major economy, it’s still not creating enough jobs for the millions of young people entering the workforce each year, including college graduates.
Economists say the government’s official figures, which put the unemployment rate for 15 to 29-year-olds at around 10 per cent, don’t provide an accurate picture.
The jobless rate was closer to 40 per cent for 15- to 25-year-olds in 2023, and about 20 per cent for 25- to 29-year-olds, according to Azim Premji University. By comparison, youth unemployment in the US averaged 10 per cent last year for those aged 16 to 24, Bloomberg calculated.
Gen Z’s frustration over jobs in India has been compounded by a series of controversies that have shaken confidence in the education system, which has long been viewed as a pathway to upward mobility.
In May, authorities cancelled the country’s largest entrance exam for undergraduate medical studies - which had been taken by more than 2.27 million people - after investigators found indications that the questions had been circulated prior to the test. That same month, test managers released erroneous results for a widely used high school graduation exam.
WHY IS THIS A WORRY FOR MODI?
The CJP has drawn comparisons to other Gen-Z movements that swept South Asia in recent years.
In neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal, young people fed up with out-of-touch elites took to the streets and toppled unpopular governments. Those demonstrations were marked by violence, which Dipke says his group eschews.
Modi’s BJP has strengthened its position recently, securing a landmark election victory in the eastern state of West Bengal that expanded its reach beyond its traditional strongholds in northern and western India. The BJP and its allies now hold power in two-thirds of India’s states.
However, there are emerging signs of political churn driven by Gen Z voters. In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, young voters helped propel a 51-year-old movie star to a shock electoral victory in May, defeating parties that had dominated the state’s politics for decades.
There’s a generational gap with the political class that’s feeding resentment among some young Indians, who feel the government is neither creating enough opportunities for them nor adequately representing their concerns. While nearly 65 per cent of India’s population is under the age of 35, many of the country’s most powerful political leaders are in their 60s and 70s. Modi is 75.
The “cockroach” movement has been endorsed by some of Modi’s rivals.
The BJP initially dismissed the frenzy as an online gimmick and a “premeditated conspiracy” by its political opponents. It hasn’t commented recently, including on Dipke’s trip and protest.
Newsletter
Morning Brief
Subscribe to CNA’s Morning Brief
An automated curation of our top stories to start your day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app