Could a cockroach unite India’s protesters against Modi?

Pearl Pandya, Senior Analyst for Asia-Pacific, said:

"On 20 July, thousands of young protesters defied a police crackdown to march to the Indian parliament, demanding accountability from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government over failures in the higher education system. The immediate trigger was the leak of the entrance examination paper for admissions in medical colleges, forcing thousands to retake the test.

"India’s opposition parties and student unions have long raised concerns over irregularities in the conduct of national competitive examinations, and structural flaws in the higher education sector – in the last year alone, ACLED data show over 300 protests across India on these issues. But with the latest protests, the campaign has found broader resonance, striking a nerve in the national consciousness and tapping into broader grievances against the economic system, which is failing to meet the aspirations of India’s youth.

"The government has offered talks with the protesters, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical political outfit which emerged online and is fast emerging as a mass-movement. Even if these talks succeed in calming the protests, the underlying discontent among dissatisfied youngsters has the potential to present the most formidable challenge to Narendra Modi’s government going forward. This is an issue which affects everyone, regardless of their religion, caste or class. Any crackdown against the overwhelmingly peaceful protesters, as the government is wont to do, will only serve to fuel anger."