‘It felt wonderful to be Indian’: ‘Cockroaches’ celebrate hard-won victory, vow to keep fighting

NEW DELHI – The area around Jantar Mantar, an 18th century astronomical observatory in central New Delhi, is demarcated as a key protest venue, where fiery speeches and revolutionary slogans usually rend the air.On the evening of July 25 though, it resembled an open-air party arena. Hindi dance music echoed there, as crowds thronged boom boxes and jived. Their loud jubilant cheers drowned out the music every now and then.Some even danced on a moving tractor and the water tanker hitched to it. Treats were at hand, too – cakes and muffins were passed around and ice-cream trolleys made a quick buck.These joyous scenes unfolded as supporters of the popular youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) celebrated their hard-won victory after a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar that lasted over five weeks.India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had resigned earlier in the day, giving in to one of the CJP’s key longstanding demands and transforming protesters, who have been demanding reforms in the education sector, into revellers.Earlier in the afternoon on July 25, the CJP called off its protests, soon after the minister’s resignation and following assurances from the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government that it would act on its other demands.“It is a win for democracy, for the Gen Z, for the youth,” said Arjun Kumar, 22, a Delhi resident who had come to Jantar Mantar with his friends to celebrate.“It’s the first time that this government has been held accountable in 12 years.”The area around Jantar Mantar was transformed into an open-air party arena on July 25. ST PHOTO: DEBARSHI DASGUPTAPradhan is only the second minister forced to resign following a scandal since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, a rare blow to the Indian Prime Minister’s aura of invincibility. M.J. Akbar had resigned as junior foreign minister in October 2018 when faced with allegations of sexual harassment made by more than a dozen women.As revellers continued to troop in well past midnight despite a request by CJP leaders for them to vacate the site, Karan Maru, 29, a dancer and choreographer, was busy cleaning up garbage they left behind.Volunteers Karan Maru (left) and Abhishek Chowdhury cleaning up the area around the Jantar Mantar protest site on July 25. ST PHOTO: DEBARSHI DASGUPTAThe volunteer had flown in from Mumbai earlier in the week and said the euphoria felt as if India had won independence all over again.“It is as if they are celebrating a new beginning,” he added.Anonymous graffiti at the venue captured the emotional high for many; it read: “For the first time in years, it felt wonderful to be Indian.”The unbridled joy at Jantar Mantar was in stark contrast to scenes witnessed there on July 20. As protesters attempted to march to Parliament to press for their demands, police and paramilitary forces rained violence on students, using batons, tear gas and even allegedly deploying pellet guns.But this only strengthened the movement as anger directed against Modi and his government coalesced online with humorous viral memes, widening CJP’s support base and forcing the government to concede to its demands.Analysts have said the Modi-led government’s move may have been prompted by its efforts to limit any further damage to its popularity ahead of key state elections in 2027, including in Uttar Pradesh.On the other hand, opposition parties, including the Congress, have welcomed Pradhan’s resignation. Its leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated students in a post on X on July 25, but without crediting the apolitical CJP for its successful campaign. “The time has come to remove this government. Don’t be afraid!” he added.The CJP said that the government had agreed to financially compensate families of students who died by suicide because of stress arising from the leak of a highly competitive medical undergraduate entrance exam paper in May 2026. The government, it added, would also withdraw police complaints lodged against protesters.CJP spokesperson Saurav Das also said on July 25 that the country’s “youth are watching” to ensure the government implements its five-point reform charter that it had submitted to prevent further leaks.Revellers at Jantar Mantar on July 25 told The Straits Times they are hopeful for a better future. “I am really happy today as we have won against injustice,” said Alok Kumar Gautam, a 19-year-old from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh who had been camping at the site since July 20.“Any corrupt leader will now fear before doing anything illegal. This has been a lesson for everybody today,” he added.Dilpreet Kaur, a 26-year-old air hostess, had come to the protest site with her brother and others with 20 boxes of muffins to share with everybody and celebrate Pradhan’s resignation as well as “the win for students who had lost their lives”.“It has been amazing,” she said, hoping for more such victories on youth-related issues.On July 25, it was not just youth who were there celebrating. A 49-year-old mask-wearing man, who did not want to be named because he feared being targeted by the government, said he had flown in from Mumbai to show his support.“If we can’t save education, the country will be ruined,” said the father of two school-going children. His campaign, therefore, he added was a personal one as well as one for the nation.For many, it was a chance to be part of something historic, too. Jagdeep Singh, 18, a student from Bathinda in Punjab, was fanning visitors walking to the protest venue at Jantar Mantar on a hot and humid monsoon night.“When I get married and have kids, I want to tell them that when the fight for freedom of education was going on, your dad was there fighting with them,” he said.While celebrations continued at Jantar Mantar well past midnight on July 26, a clean-up operation was well under way by early morning. The graffiti on the walls in the area – those targeting the government and its leaders – had been whitewashed.The stage at the protest area, where CJP leaders and supporters had gathered for over five weeks, had also been dismantled. But in many ways, a new wider stage for the party has now been erected, with questions swirling around the CJP’s future role as a force for political opposition in the country.A reveller holding a banner celebrating the Indian Education Minister's resignation near the protest site on July 25. ST PHOTO: DEBARSHI DASGUPTAAsked whether the CJP could become a political party, its spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka told India Today on July 25 that he would not rule it out. “The only thing I’ve learnt in my short career in public life and politics is never say no,” he said.Irrespective of its character, there are expectations that the CJP will keep the pressure on the government on issues that affect the country’s youth, including widespread youth unemployment.“We are also depending on the CJP for a better future,” said Payal Khashpariya, 28, who had come with her friends to the Jantar Mantar protest site to show her support. Laid off around six months ago, the IT professional has yet to find employment.Payal Khashpariya (centre), 28, said she hopes the CJP will keep pressure on the government to ensure it acts on other areas of concern such as youth unemployment. ST PHOTO: DEBARSHI DASGUPTASwarna Bhatnagar, a 29-year-old writer, told ST she had returned to the protest site daily since July 19 as she wanted to be on “the right side of history”.“I feel that this (victory) is the tip of the iceberg. We have a really long fight ahead… but for now, we are triumphant,” she added.In an interview with ST in June, CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke had said he wants the CJP to become a movement that “listens to the youth, their parents, and... can understand their hopes, their aspirations and even addresses their concerns”.India’s elected government, he had said, had stopped being accountable to the public, which is why the CJP would transform itself into a political movement – but not a party – “that will continuously seek accountability from the government”.“This protest is just the beginning,” Dipke had added.On July 25, he reiterated that message to a large crowd of supporters soon after Pradhan’s resignation. “This is the first wicket,” he told them, amid loud cheers.“We won’t stop here. This is just the start.”