CJP: Resilience, resistance and India’s youth

Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), an incidental and accidental creation, came into being thanks to the Chief Justice of India’s remark-whether casual, off-the-cuff or serious. Named after one of the most primitive living winged insects, with origins dating back 320 million years and comprising over 4,600 species worldwide, the cockroach has found a new meaning in the current Indian context. The long existence of this underrated insect is attributed to its resilience and instinct to survive under the most difficult circumstances.

Barely two months into existence in its new manifestation as CJP, with restive but resilient youth becoming its fulcrum, it has no leader, cadre, ideology, constitution or manifesto. It is neither a recognised, registered nor an unregistered political party, but merely a phenomenon that has shaken the powerful government and captured the imagination of society, particularly the youth, who until recently had been solidly supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi but are now seeking his accountability. At the centre of this phenomenal success are Gen Z’s drive and educationist-environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk’s steely resolve, which took the short-lived agitation to a new high. That does not take away the credit from the enormous youth force of the country and their parents, who came out of their comfort zones to protest. As a field reporter in Delhi, having covered many major rallies, protests and public meetings over the last four decades, one has never witnessed such a spectacle before. A nondescript organisation, emerging from nowhere and giving a clarion call to join the protest against the government’s failure to check paper leaks and its refusal to remove Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for presiding over this mess, led to an unbelievable response.

The entirely voluntary nature of the protest, in every respect, has been its strongest point. The crowds came voluntarily, spending their own money, unlike the traditional practice of mobilising people through cash payments or by arranging their travel. Once at the venue, and faced with police action that left hundreds of young protesters injured, society swung into action. Food, water and medical aid became readily available. Even more encouraging was that this voluntary effort transcended religion, caste, creed, colour and political affiliations. Alleged intrusions by ruling party supporters, though very few in number and reportedly backed by the police, were the sordid side of this otherwise remarkable story.

From the unassailable position that the Narendra Modi dispensation had created for itself over the past decade, the CJP-mobilised youth protest posed the first serious challenge to it. Ostensibly, the high hopes that the youth, along with other sections of society, had pinned on the Prime Minister have been belied, particularly with the education system going haywire. On top of that, the BJP’s heavy religion-based agenda, culminating in the alleged donation theft in Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, managed by a trust packed with nominees of the ruling dispensation, led to pent-up anger erupting at the CJP congregation. Notwithstanding the fact that student outfits owing allegiance to Left groups were also at the centre of the action, with half a dozen of their young activists joining Sonam Wangchuk in an indefinite fast, the movement has so far remained aloof from political colouring or related controversies. This is simply because the youth’s agenda is brief, focused, meaningful and to the point.

Strategically, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and his core team invited all political parties to join them, but without their party flags or agendas. Many frontline political representatives came to express solidarity, but none dared impose their own agenda, probably because they were cautioned by the overwhelming presence of the protesting youth.

Sustaining the impact of this mobilisation until the final goal is achieved is certainly a serious challenge for the protesting youth. Given the nature of the current ruling dispensation and its ability to use statecraft in all its manifestations, maintaining the momentum will be crucial in countering such tendencies.

The biggest takeaway from this month-old Gen Z movement is that it has rewritten the concept of the “new normal” prevalent since 2014, with the fear factor at its core. At a time when no one dared question the government, the protesting Gen Z broke this barrier by raising slogans and posing questions directly to the Prime Minister.

However, another major achievement of CJP’s revolutionary initiative is that the Jantar Mantar movement has also shaken the Opposition, particularly the Congress, into more meaningful action. The pressure built by Opposition parties in both Houses of Parliament and, finally-hopefully not for the last time-Rahul Gandhi’s sit-in outside the Prime Minister’s official residence, accompanied by Opposition MPs, has further strengthened the protesting youth’s demand for justice. With society and the Opposition parties fully backing them, the movement has gained a kind of multi-pronged safety net. More importantly, the leadership should remain in the hands of CJP’s core team and the youth on the ground. Everyone else, including Sonam Wangchuk, Rahul Gandhi and the Opposition parties, should be seen only as lending strength to the youth movement.

Rahul Gandhi has already been raising the issue of paper leaks and the corresponding decline of the education system through party-organised programmes, which have evoked a positive response. However, taking to the streets to protest outside the Prime Minister’s residence in high-security Lutyens’ Delhi has given a new meaning to his youth-centric agenda. The youth, under the aegis of CJP, have perhaps unknowingly registered some unique achievements. First, they have successfully challenged the systemic contempt for collective empowerment or unity that has prevailed in recent years. When young people rise collectively and awaken society, it captures the imagination of everyone, including their adversaries. This can be seen and felt in the current phase of the CJP protests. Another significant aspect of the movement is that it has overcome societal, ideological, religious, regional and class divisions that one has witnessed in most such programmes held in Delhi from time to time. Above all, it has forged a cross-class and, more importantly, an urban-rural alliance. The mobilisation of crowds for such protest rallies has traditionally come from rural areas, with negligible participation from urban populations. That dynamic has changed drastically, as people from all regions and backgrounds have united to highlight the concerns of the youth.

The CJP-driven youth protests are having a profound, multi-layered impact on the Indian psyche by transforming systemic and economic despair into a unified generational identity. What began as an online meme responding to a controversial remark from the judiciary has evolved into a historic street mobilisation that is altering how young Indians view their relationship with power.

The writer is a policy analyst specialising in national and international affairs; Views presented are personal.