In India, the Cockroach Party has gone viral on social media and surpassed Modi's party – Reuters
In India, a new socio-political movement with the provocative name “The Cockroach Party” has rapidly gained popularity. In just a few days, the initiative, which draws attention to the problems facing young people, has surpassed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in terms of social media discussion. The movement’s founders claim that India’s youth have effectively been left off the country’s political agenda.
This is reported by Reuters.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s Instagram page gained nearly 15 million followers in less than a week. The account of the ruling BJP, which considers itself the largest political party in the world, has fewer than nine million.
The movement’s logo features the silhouette of a cockroach against the backdrop of a cell phone. Its official slogan is “The Voice of the Lazy and Unemployed.” Membership requirements are phrased ironically: one must be unemployed, lazy, constantly online, and able to “complain professionally.” Over 400,000 people have already filled out the Google membership form—more than 70% of them are between the ages of 19 and 25.
The name was coined by the movement’s 30-year-old founder, Abhijit Dipke—and it’s not just a stunt. It refers to a controversial statement by India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant, who compared some unemployed youth to cockroaches. The judge later clarified that he was referring only to those with “fake degrees” who live off society—but the remark had already gone viral.
“India’s youth have effectively disappeared from the mainstream political agenda,” said Dipke from Boston, where he has lived for the past two years. “No one talks about us. No one listens to our problems or even acknowledges our existence.”
The movement’s account posts graphics and videos on topics ranging from media independence to women’s quotas in parliament. They also discussed the scandal involving the leak of questions for the national medical entrance exam—it was canceled, affecting 2.3 million applicants.
Behind the ironic tone lies very real discontent. India is the world’s most populous country, where about 65% of the 1.42 billion people are under 35. According to government statistics, unemployment among people aged 15–29 stands at 9.9%—three times higher than the overall rate. In cities, it is 13.6%. A Deloitte survey published this week showed that 54% of Indian millennials have postponed major life decisions—such as buying a home or getting married—due to financial pressure. Separately, experts warn that artificial intelligence threatens to eliminate entry-level jobs in the outsourcing industry, which has traditionally absorbed millions of young Indians.
“I like the ‘Cockroach Party’ because in this country, no one listens to young people and there aren’t enough jobs,” said 26-year-old Siddharth Kanaujiya from Lucknow, who joined the movement, in a comment to Reuters. “Cockroaches symbolize resilience: they come back after every blow.”
Dipke cautioned against comparisons with Generation Z protests in neighboring Bangladesh and Nepal, where youth movements toppled governments. When asked if there are plans to form a full-fledged party, the founder did not respond. He offered an optimistic outlook.
“This has the potential to become a major political movement and change Indian politics,” he said. “But everything we do is within the Constitution. Peacefully and democratically.”
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