In India, the ‘Beetle Party’ takes to the streets for its first protest involving young people

Hundreds of young students gathered in New Delhi for the first street protest organised by the “People’s Party of Cockroaches” against alleged irregularities in recent exams. Holding paper masks shaped like cockroaches and leaflets, the protesters called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who has been criticised for the irregularities found, including leaks of exam papers for entry to medical school and secondary schools.

“We want the government to take responsibility,” Utkarsh Raj, a prospective medical student, told AFP at the protest site, which was being monitored by police officers in riot gear. “How is it possible for exam papers to be leaked in this country? How can that be right?” added Raj, 16. The protesters were led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old Boston University graduate who arrived in New Delhi today from the United States. His satirical party, the “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP), a play on words combining cockroaches and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has gained millions of followers on social media since its launch last month. The movement was born after the Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, compared young people criticising the government to “cockroaches” and “parasites” during a hearing, sparking outrage among young people. “The country’s young people will no longer be afraid of anyone; they will fight,” said Dipke, a former political communications strategist for the opposition Aam Aadmi Party, to supporters at the rally. “Cockroaches are afraid of nothing and never die,” added Dipke. The CJP’s popularity has soared, thanks to the slogan “a political front for young people, by young people, for young people”.

“India deserves better management of such crucial exams by the government,” said Sarthak, a 20-year-old man who gave AFP only his first name. Last month, the authorities scrapped the national medical school entrance exam after investigators uncovered a leak of the exam questions. Indian media have reported cases of suicide among teenagers following the fiasco of the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), one of the country’s most competitive exams. This came on top of another scandal involving the online marking system for tests taken by nearly two million high school students. “Young people have to sit these exams and we cannot allow these assessment systems to lose all credibility,” said Sapan Gyan, 52, who accompanied his children to the protest. Despite rapid economic growth, millions of people in India still struggle to find stable, well-paid work, fuelling discontent among young people. According to the International Labour Organisation, youth unemployment in India, for those aged between 15 and 24, stands at around 16%. In recent years, some of India’s neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh and Nepal, have witnessed youth movements against corruption and political apathy that have led to the downfall of incumbent governments.