A massive student mobilization brought tens of thousands of young people to the streets of the Indian capital, creating one of the most significant protests in recent years against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. The marches aimed to reach Parliament to demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, deemed politically responsible for handling the crisis affecting the national exam system.
Authorities declared the demonstration unauthorized and set up a massive security presence to prevent access to institutional areas. Tensions quickly escalated into clashes: law enforcement used batons and tear gas to disperse the protesters, while some participants responded by throwing stones at the officers.
The protest originated from the case involving the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the medical school entrance exam. The irregular distribution of some tests compromised the fairness of the competition, forcing authorities to cancel the session and organize a new exam for over two million candidates. The incident fueled strong distrust towards institutions, turning a university protest into a national movement.
Leading the mobilization is the Cockroach Janata Party, initially started as a satirical initiative on social media. The name references an expression attributed to a magistrate who allegedly compared unemployed youth to "cockroaches," a definition the movement has turned into a symbol of collective identity and advocacy. In a few weeks, the group gathered millions of online supporters, tapping into the discontent of a generation facing a tough job market and growing doubts about institutional transparency.
Many participants in the protest are students and young people from various regions of the country. While continuing to declare their commitment to non-violent protest, some demonstrators have extended their demands to question Modi's leadership itself.
Meanwhile, the government maintains an extremely cautious stance. During the opening of the monsoon session of Parliament, the Prime Minister did not publicly address the demonstrations taking place close to the parliamentary complex.
Among those closest to the movement is activist Sonam Wangchuk, who staged a hunger strike to denounce the use of force against protesters and demand greater guarantees for civil rights. According to the protest organizers, the initiative is inspired by the principles of Satyagraha, the non-violent resistance theorized by Mahatma Gandhi, and aims to keep attention focused on the students' demands.
(Associated Medias) - All rights reserved