Listen to the screens & streets

If it bleeds, it leads”, so goes a good old journalistic adage. It is no surprise, therefore, that the protest demonstration in New Delhi on June 6 by supporters of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) did not end up as rolling coverage on TV channels or eight-column banner headlines in the next day’s newspapers across the country. But at the same time, “No news is good news”; and the CJP, as well as everyone who descended onto the streets of the national capital, should be given credit for keeping the entire event peaceful.

Up till now, the reaction to the social media phenomenon has been on predictable lines. While the union government reacted restrictively, labelling it “a national security threat”, a few leaders, like Shashi Tharoor, were sympathetic. Leave sound bites aside. The frustration of the youngsters is real. And, it is not new either. From the anti-Indira Gandhi protests of the 1970s to the anti-corruption movement of the 2010s, there has been an out pouring of discontent.

It is not restricted to India too. In our neighbourhood, governments have been toppled. A little farther, in Madagascar, Kenya, and Peru, youth have used digital platforms and symbols like the One Piece manga pirate flag to challenge the old order and corrupt institutions. It will be worth while to recognise the context in which the CJP activism is playing out. Gone are the days when social transformation stemmed only from debates on television or editorial pages of newspapers.

Today, everything from politics and money matters to music and sports is flowing into society, especially the youth, via reels, shorts, memes, and podcasts on smartphones. We are in a new era. Add to this the fact that India is home to 371 million young people; the largest youth population in the world. With half the population under 25, the demand for accountability is real and reaching a fever pitch. There is a genuine feeling that their voices are not being heard. In this new era, the old political guard cannot afford to dismiss the youth as “chronically online” or “lazy”.

If the system continues to favour “nepo kids” and ignores the aspirations of the millions navigating a broken job market, there is a risk of messages from the screens and streets getting louder. The established political class must listen to the voice of the youth. In a democracy, long-term changes come about through political institutions. It is too early to say whether the CJP will enter the electoral space, but there is a real likelihood of the fledgling online phenomenon coalescing into a more widespread, nationwide movement. Ignoring the “cockroach revolt” might not be a good idea.