Dear Gen Z, you don't need to be treated like cockroaches, you can change the system from within |
Dear Gen Z Indians who signed up to the “Cockroach Janta Party”: It is impossible to look at the current landscape of India — the headlines, the stories emerging from exam centres, and the raw, unfiltered conversations flooding social media — without feeling the immense weight of the collective frustration gripping your generation.
On May 16, Abhijeet Dipke posted an invitation to join the “Cockroach Janta Party”. Five days later, he had 20 million Instagram followers. His satirical movement has captured the imagination of Gen Z and others like you, frustrated by the inadequacies of our political system and its failure to meet your needs. Instagram is your town square. But it is not a ballot box.
To those of you feeling lost, angry, and disillusioned: your pain is seen, and your anger is heard. The reasons you signed up for the CJP are valid. When you dedicate years of your life to preparation, sacrificing sleep, social connection, and mental well-being for a dream, the news of paper leaks and system failures is not just a news headline — it is a betrayal of your time, your effort, and your future. The tragic news of students losing their lives in despair is a devastating reminder that the “rotten system” isn’t just an abstract concept; it has real, human consequences that cut to the core of our society. But there is a danger in mistaking an outlet for your frustration as the solution to your problems. It is not.
The emergence of movements like the CJP offers a powerful, albeit heartbreaking, piece of political theatre. It captures the visceral feeling of being treated........