Cockroach party protest: What are CJP supporters' demands and what Dipke said

The supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), who participated in a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, said concerns over the education system had brought them to the demonstration and put forth several demands.

School students, college-goers, competitive exam aspirants, and parents were among those who gathered for the protest.

The crowds that started assembling from Saturday morning kept swelling through the day.

Also read: Are students paying the price of India's broken exam system?

According to the CJP, the main agenda of the protest was to demand Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over NEET exam paper leaks.

“Our single point agenda is – Dharmendra Pradhan must resign for destroying India’s education system. Don’t fall for any distraction tactics,” the CJP said.

Activist Sonam Wangchuk too joined the protest and addressed the gathering. "I don't like protest but we have to do it for justice," he said. He joined the crowd to chant "Bhara Mata Ki Jai".

Earlier, he stated that he would undertake a six-week fast if Dipke is arrested.

Dipke slams Modi govt

The CJP founder, Abhijeet Dipke, who arrived in Delhi from the US on Saturday morning, joined the protesters and hit out at the Narendra Modi government.

“For the past 10-12 years, these people have kept us trapped in Hindu-Muslim politics—who benefited from this? Did Hindu-Muslim politics get jobs for anyone in the country?” Dipke asked while addressing the gathering.

He added, "My friends, this is a long struggle. It has been a month since we started demanding Pradhan's resignation on social media, but these individuals are so shameless that instead of taking action, they have been focused on other distractions, like hacking our accounts and getting our posts deleted. You may be able to delete our posts, but you cannot erase us from this space."

For some participants, the issues go beyond examinations and reflect broader concerns about opportunities available to youngsters. Many participants also framed their concerns in political terms, saying they are dissatisfied with the existing parties.

Apart from calling for Pradhan’s resignation, the supporters of the CJP have several other demands. Here are some of the demands.

Reforms in education

Dhanraj, an MBA graduate from Chhatarpur, said he would support any new political formation focussed on reforms rather than confrontation. "Corruption exists at every level. We need correction," he said, recalling the intense competition students face in pursuing higher education and employment opportunities.

Nusrat Parveen, who attended the protest with her three daughters, said she has seen the pressure students face while preparing for competitive examinations. "My children are worried about their future and as a parent, I feel that pressure too," she said.

Digitisation of education only after proper training

“We are digitalising everything from banking to education, but are we able to stop the wrong practices? The answer is no. There is rampant bank fraud, and now we are seeing the impact of digitalisation in the education space. I am not against it, but introduce it only after proper assessment and training of teachers,” said 50-year-old Radheshyam Kaithal, the father of three students pursuing higher education in Delhi, told Hindustan Times (HT).

Addressing mental health issues of students

“The CJP movement has been able to bring people from social media to the ground, which means they are talking about issues that people somewhere relate to. Some students have ended their lives and lakhs are under constant mental pressure, and there’s no accountability,” 38-year-old Sugandha, a psychologist by profession, told the newspaper.

Address concerns of youngsters, students

Vaishali, who works with an NGO in Delhi, said India frequently speaks about its demographic dividend but is not adequately addressing the concerns of its youth. She wants that to change. "We have the highest number of youngsters, but their issues are not being addressed. We need constructive change," she said.

Sabrina, a law student from Kashmir who attended the protest with her younger brother, said she had come to support students raising their concerns. "If more people raise their voice together, it is more likely to be heard," she said.

Normalcy in Manipur education

Some of the protesters also raised concerns over the situation in Manipur and urged for normalcy over the education system. “There’s unrest in Manipur since the past three years. Nothing in my state functions in a normal way, including schools and colleges. Students are under so much distress there,” 32-year-old Winson, a social entrepreneur, was quoted as saying by HT.