Young Indians protest through parody ‘cockroach’ party

It began as a satirical online project. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration.

A parody political party called the Cockroach Janta Party, with the insect as its symbol, has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humour into protest. Memes and short videos mocking corruption, joblessness and political dysfunction have flooded social media sites, where millions of users are embracing the cockroach – known for its ability to survive harsh conditions – as a tongue-in-cheek symbol of endurance.

The online movement’s rise has been unusually rapid. The Cockroach Janta Party, or CJP, set up its website and social media accounts on Saturday. By Thursday, its Instagram page had amassed more than 15 million followers, far surpassing the 8.8 million followers of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party on the platform.

“Nothing of this was intentional,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told Associated Press, saying the movement’s rise reflected mounting frustration among young Indians.

“It is the younger people who were actually very frustrated. They didn’t have any outlet. They were really angry at the government,” said Dipke, a political communications strategist and Boston University student.

The CJP emerged online after remarks by Supreme Court Chief Justice Surya Kant triggered backlash among young Indians angered by unemployment, rising living costs and recent government exam paper leaks that have disrupted job recruitment drives.