'Shows how angry we are': When the ‘Cockroach’ meme page turned street protest | Notes from the ground

AS hundreds of protesters gathered in the sweltry heat up of young new delhi on sabbatum, the Cockroach Janta Party and its supporters raised their voices against ongoing exam irregularities. Citing the NEET paper leak, the CBSE on-screen marking row, SSC exam cancellations, and the recent delay in CUET UG, the protesters called for a better education system for students in India, and spoke particularly of how individual students feel pushed and wronged.The Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical online outfit that began as a response to remarks by Chief Justice Surya Kant, held its first public protest on June 6. Along with their demand for an improved education system, supporters of the outfit also called for the resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan.The call for protest was made by CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, who led the crowd at Jantar Mantar a few hours after landing from the United States. Dipke was accompanied by the outfit's three spokesmen, representatives from the All India Student Union, and climate activist Sonam Wangchuk, who also dropped in to show support for the movement.While it was assumed that the participants would mainly be Gen Z students from across India, HT also interacted with teachers, parents, activists, and others who did not fit this bracket.Students hit the hardest"Humare bachchon ke saath galat ho raha hai, unke saath nainsaafi ho rahi hai," was a sentence heard repeatedly from participants at Jantar Mantar, speaking how “children are being wronged, facing an unfair system”. A teacher from Pune spoke to HT about the plight of students affected by what he described as "continuous" irregularities."The students are already under pressure when they appear for competitive exams such as NEET, JEE, and other government exams. This pressure only increases when they hear of paper leaks. We are here today in support of our students, to ensure that when they are studying hard, the least the agencies and the government can do is ensure there are no delays or leaks," Ramzan told HT.Another protester, Vikas, told HT that they were there to demand accountability from the government and improvements to the system. Nitish, a former president of JNUSU, also highlighted the findings of 17-year-old Sarthak Sidhant, who flagged alleged discrepancies in tenders issued by CBSE to Coempt Edu Teck amid the ongoing OSM row, and called for systemic change.Also Read | When roses, rage and ‘cockroaches’ came together in a summer swarm at Jantar Mantar"The youth of the country are here, with the Constitution in our hands, and we will take it back," he told HT. While sentiments at the protest extended beyond education, the overall focus remained on creating a better system for students — one that is not marred by paper leaks, delays, or abrupt cancellations.Anger takes precedence"To think that a protest like this emerged from a satirical reaction shows how angry we are and that we are done with injustice," said Vanshika, a mental health practitioner in Delhi. "We're all very angry. Listening to the news every day, be it paper leaks, violence against women, student suicides, or infrastructural failure, we have reached a point where we are simply done and want change," she told HT.Also Read | Media distrust emerges as a key theme among Cockroach Janta Party protestersIn the run-up to the protest, multiple student suicides were reported across India. The most recent case was reported on May 20, when a 20-year-old woman died by suicide following the cancellation of the NEET UG exam."I had high hopes of scoring good marks in the NEET exam, but now there is no guarantee that I will perform just as well if I have to take the paper again. I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I've ruined everything," she had written.Another NEET aspirant from Rajasthan was found dead amid distress caused by the cancellations. The student's father told the media that his child had been hopeful of scoring at least 650 marks in the NEET UG exam, but the stress following the paper leak may have pushed him to take the extreme step. In Karnataka as well, an 18-year-old student died by suicide after the NEET exam was cancelled due to a paper leak.Stating that students are "devastated," Vanshika highlighted the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rapid rise of AI, which she said has created uncertainty about the future, particularly among young people."We cannot have students dying by suicide at 17 years of age," she said, adding that the sharp increase in student suicides reflects an impending public health crisis in the country.Speaking on the Cockroach movement, Vanshika said she doesn’t know if immediate change will be brought about, but added that she has hope, and upon seeing the mass support for Dipke and the movement in general, the mental health expert felt “it may be time for a change”.