The youth are the strongest pillar of any nation. They shape its economy, drive innovation, and define its future. But when that same youth erupts in anger and despair, they also have the power to shake the very foundations of the nation. Recent instances of violent youth agitations occurred in Bangladesh, Nepal prove this to be true. As of now, India is also following the same pattern with the newly formed youth outfit called Cockroach Janta Party, formed by a person named Abhijeet Dipke. Who is he? Why the sudden call for change? Let’s find out.
The origin
The whole movement began after a controversial comment was passed by Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant during a courtroom hearing, where he described the unemployed youths of India as ‘cockroaches’.
Also Read:
“There are youngsters like cockroaches, who don’t get any employment or have any place in the profession. Some of them become media, some of them become social media, RTI activists and other activists, and they start attacking everyone,” he said.
Never did Kant or anyone know one comment could turn into something so big into a nationwide uprisal against the country’s system.
The emergence and the man behind
The whole issue triggered the youth population of the country who showed strong condemnation against the remarks. Netizens took out their social media to express their anger. They blamed the country’s overall system and alleged that lack of job opportunities in the country is the reason for unemployment.
Many even demanded the resignation of Chief Justice Surya Kant. The one who leveraged this controversy was Abhijeet Dipke. He started an Instagram page called @cockroachjantaparty to attract the protesters for raising their issues. The page saw an instant hike of followers, surpassing major political party pages in the country. As of now, almost 20 million people are following the account.
Who is Abhijeet Dipke?
Abhijeet Dipke is a Maharashtra born 30-year-old who works as a communications specialist in the US, according to sources. He is said to have completed his bachelors degree in Pune before taking off to the USA to complete further studies in public relations.
Prior to this he has also volunteered with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) social media and digital communications team. The CJP platform was started as a small satirical page but the widespread mass attention turned it into a platform for the unheard youth population struggling to raise their voice.
How to become a ‘cockroach’ ?
To become part of the team, they have mentioned simple eligibility criteria on their website:
- Be unemployed
- Be ‘lazy’
- Be able to ‘rant professionally’
These conditions were not meant as serious screening criteria but instead used as a satire to show the deep rooted hatred and ignorance the young generations are facing in the country.
The group and their demands
The first demand put forward by the group was to take action against the alleged NEET UG exam paper leak. The exam was hit with a major blowback after the question paper leaked before the exam. Many students even bought the papers beforehand by paying high sums of money. When the issue became public, it resulted in the cancellation of the examination.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) ordered for a re-examination which many students found difficult to prepare again.
According to reports, 14 NEET aspirant students took their lives due to the alleged irregularities that happened this year. As a result the main request put forward was the resignation of Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan to pay for his actions of alleged failure in maintaining the proper conduction of the whole process. The group is also demanding justice for the bereaved families by demanding the government to pay one crore rupees as compensation.
Also Read:
The move forward
As of now, Abhijeet Dipke and his allies are protesting in Jantar Mantar demanding for the enforcement of their demands. The protest began on June 28 garnered support from people across different political ideologies and groups, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk who joined the agitation on June 28 and has been on an indefinite hunger strike since then. As per the latest reports, Wangchuk has been arrested away from the peaceful protest site on July 18.
