How Indian Gen Z ‘Cockroaches’ dented Modi’s image

Sheikh Saaliq, MDT/AP

For weeks, India’s young protesters waved signs mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government and rallied under an unlikely name: the Cockroach Janta Party. They secured a concession few have extracted from Modi during his more than 12 years in power: a cabinet minister’s resignation.

Modi has been one of India’s most dominant prime ministers in decades, winning elections while cultivating an image of decisive leadership. His government has rarely been seen to yield to public pressure.

The resignation of education minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month, however, was a notable exception, experts say. Pressured by the “Cockroach” movement, the concession underscored the rising political influence of India’s population younger than 25, who make up nearly half the country, and a shift toward digital-first organizing.

“This particular round has ended in a very important defeat for Mr. Modi,” said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst who wrote a Modi biography.

Mukhopadhyay said the minister’s resignation has made people less fearful of protesting against a government that critics have long accused of suppressing dissent.

“The threshold of fear has been broken. People are no longer scared to go and step out and protest,” he said.

The protests began as a satirical movement in May with a single demand: the education minister’s resignation over leaks of exam papers that can determine a young person’s fate.

But as protests spread, driven by young, urban Indians who mobilized online and on the streets, they evolved into a broader call for accountability, tapping into frustration over youth unemployment, government transparency and the handling of public institutions.

Mukhopadhyay said it was the first time student-led protests had sustained enough momentum to force the government to concede their central demand without the backing of established political parties.

“Each one had their own little grievance about life not taking them anywhere,” he said.

It is uncertain whether that energy can be converted into votes against Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Saurav Das, a spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party, said the movement reaffirmed the power of public pressure in a democracy.

“An arrogant government which did not blink for 12 years was forced to blink when the youth united,” he said, reiterating that the group wants to remain a public watchdog rather than become a political party.

“We want to remain a pressure group,” he said.

The movement appears to have prompted adjustments inside Modi’s party.

In the weeks since the protests, Modi has increasingly appeared in short, vertical videos tailored for Instagram and other platforms popular with young voters.

His party has expanded its outreach to Gen Z through online campaigns, with some party lawmakers adopting youth slang in public appearances, including speeches in Parliament. Many of India’s cabinet members are 60 or older.

It marks a shift from the protests’ early days, when Modi and his government largely dismissed the movement as insignificant. But as demonstrations attracted larger crowds, the government was forced to acknowledge them and respond to their growing influence.

Since the education minister’s resignation, Modi has also spoken of forgiving those who had mocked the prime minister, an apparent effort to reconnect with younger audiences.

Mukhopadhyay said the movement’s biggest impact was challenging the perception of Modi as a leader largely insulated from public pressure.

“That image of Mr. Modi is heavily tarnished,” he said.

[Abridged]