In the last week, all eyes, online discourse and prime-time debates have been trained on the most viral phenomenon in India today: the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and student at Boston University. Cropping up online as a satirical response to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant being quoted by the media saying, “There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone.” Although the CJI later claimed that he had been misquoted, clarifying that he was referring to fake degree holders, it was too late: the CJP had been formed and has continued to get immense social media attention, amassing 22.7 million followers on Instagram (surpassing the BJP’s 9.3 million), inspiring the hashtag #MainBhiCockroach.
Its X account being withheld in India didn’t do much to quell the flames either, as Dipke has continued to post memes and even called attention to student suicides over the recent NEET paper leak, mobilising his following to sign a petition demanding the Union education minister’s resignation. The account has received its share of criticism, too, with claims that Dipke is associated with the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) or is a ‘foreign agent’ making the rounds, while others dismissed the move as merely a viral trend without any real-life impact.
In the midst of this, CE asks Bengaluru’s youth whether CJP is just a viral stunt or if it can bring about real on-ground change.
The account went viral because it felt funny, honest and easy to relate to. A lot of young Indians are stressed about jobs, money and politics, so it connected with them quickly. Calling everyone involved ‘paid’ or ‘fake’ ignores the fact that many young Indians genuinely feel frustrated about jobs, the cost of living, politics and not being heard. Even if it stays mostly online, the response itself shows that these feelings are real. If it can push more people to think, question things and stay involved beyond memes and trends, that would be a good outcome.
The Cockroach Janta Party is a good start. It’s nice to see Gen Z developing a collective political consciousness and coming together. But if an actual change or revolution has to happen, it needs a strong ground presence, not just a digital one. Right now, the movement feels a little performative. A lot of people are participating because it’s exciting online, but that doesn’t necessarily translate into deeper political engagement. If the movement doesn’t want to die down, it needs a stronger collective consciousness, a clear ideology and presence on the field.
Why can’t the CJP be both a genuine political frustration and a meme culture turning political? This is political discourse in a new language – from caricatures and columns to memes, it feels like a natural progression. Comedy has always been an avenue for political conversations. What comes after the joke – that’s the real discourse. Online is also where humans are these days. A five-second reel can change opinions and behaviour. Calling it names won’t take away its impact. Plus, it’s unfair to judge a week-old movement on offline mobilisation.
Initially, I found it quite strange. With such a huge social media presence, the party has the potential to raise important issues, highlight them and stand by its manifesto. However, it should avoid getting distracted by petty issues or unnecessary conflicts and remain focused on addressing real problems. I would support it because at least it is acknowledging and addressing our concerns on its platform rather than ignoring them. If it evolves into a real movement, I hope it delivers all the promises it makes.
This should not come as a surprise. We are living through an absurd gap in rights and quality of life. The youth of this country deserve so much more than excruciating survival and crumbs to look forward to. We would be foolish to look at this moment without the lens of potential. Criticism and good-faith questions matter, but it is equally important to examine how we, individually, can offer a stronger praxis to address our collective frustration. It is time to walk the talk and find solidarity with one another. Look around you, your neighbours, the person who irons your clothes, the domestic workers, the security guard, the children on your street, the quality of the roads outside your home, the animals living alongside you. Notice the quality of life across every one of these realities. How do you get people together to solve one micro issue to start? This is how solidarity transforms into collective power and adds momentum to any larger call to action.
I find it genuinely clever. It converted humiliation into defiance without requiring anyone to be brave in a way that felt risky. It connected with our generation because the CJI’s remarks were an insult about something many of us are already blamed or criticised for. It was labelled as a ‘cross-border influence operation’ designed to destabilise India, alleging social media manipulation and foreign interference. I find this claim weak. It follows a pattern of automatically labelling domestic movements foreign interference whenever it becomes inconvenient, and the government’s decision to have the CJP’s X account withheld in India under the IT Act does more damage to its own credibility. I’m cautious about having strong hopes for political movements. The most important thing CJP can do is hold its own and avoid being engulfed by other parties. Whether CJP survives or not, the important thing is that the people are finally asking questions.