India’s ‘cockroach’ group plans march in September over unmet demands
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The march will be led by families of exam candidates who died by suicide and people the group described as victims of police brutality in the July protests.
PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW DELHI – The satirical group behind the student movement that forced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s education minister to step down is calling supporters back onto the streets, saying the government has failed to honor commitments it made in July.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a pressure group that started as an online joke, said it will hold a march in New Delhi on Sept 5, according to a statement released by the group.
The march will be led by families of exam candidates who died by suicide and people the group described as victims of police brutality in the July protests.
The group said the march was prompted by the government’s failure to fulfill commitments made to protesters on July 25, including compensation for the families of those who died by suicide and the withdrawal of police cases filed against protesters.
“Our patience cannot be mistaken for weakness. Our good faith cannot become an opportunity for the government to betray us,” the CJP said in the statement.
The group said the march would be peaceful and urged students and youth organisations across India to take part.
India’s Home Ministry and a BJP spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The planned march threatens to revive a protest movement that forced a rare concession from the Modi government and led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
He became the first Cabinet minister in Modi’s 12 years as prime minister to leave office under public pressure.
The government agreed that day to key demands from the CJP that brought the protests to an end.
The government has sought to defuse tensions since CJP began threatening to resume protests.
Modi has said he opposes punishment and court proceedings against young protesters and urged that they not face harassment.
The Supreme Court has said states may withdraw cases against student demonstrators, except those involving serious offenses, a position also backed by the government.
The administration has also sought to address some of the grievances that fuelled the protests, including by toughening penalties for test paper leaks.
In his Aug 15 Independence Day speech, Modi made a broader appeal to young Indians, outlining measures aimed at students and the young workforce. BLOOMBERG
