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The world knows that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as online satire, transformed from website to on-ground protest. And that is not the only transformation. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, transformed into a youth icon with a message. The Gen Z, self-described as “lazy, unemployed, chronically online, possessing an ability to rant professionally” transformed into fearless critics of a regime that had effectively created a climate of acquiescence and silence.

Silence transformed to questioning and dissent. Jantar Mantar, cleansed of generations of protestors and etherised as Central Vista, transformed back into a zone of protests and resistance.

It’s only a month since a meme transformed to a protest and the protest to a student movement. A movement that travelled to seven cities, created a commitment that inducted scientist Sonam Wangchuk and over twenty students going on indefinite hunger fast. Social media as political and social communication is effective only when it is democratic and decentralised. The CJP core leadership now focus on the ground reality while its supporters have become autonomous influencers. Analytics show, they are reaching out to millions. No one can tell if this movement is transitional or temporary and if it will have long-term impact. But there can be no doubt that these transformations have levered open some cracks and let the light in.

CJP has helped Muslims return to public protests after CAA crackdown

There have been other transformations and signifiers in the one month after CJPs first protest on June 6. Muslims, who had been coerced out of public spaces since the crackdown on protests linked with the Citizens (Amendment) Act (CAA), finally felt safe with a sense of belonging in CJP’s protest in Jantar Mantar and Dipke’s platform presence. The presence of Mohammad Junaid and Harpreet Singh, whose visuals in reels got millions of........

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