PANAJI
Abhijeet Dipke, president of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said India’s youth have sent a message that they can no longer be ignored when The Goan reached out to him.
“This is a generation tired of being dismissed. These protests show that young people will not accept paper leaks, corruption or indifference. We want accountability.”
The CJP was born after youth were described as “cockroaches” and Dipke says the remark backfired.
“They tried to demean us, but we owned it. The Cockroach Janata Party is satire, but it is also defiance. It gave students and youth a symbol to rally around.”
Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike, Dipke said, gave a moral force to the agitation.
“His sacrifice inspired thousands. Now that he has ended the fast, our focus is sharper: reforms in education. We have demanded a new Public Examinations Act, a students’ rights charter, and strict accountability for exam authorities.”
With opposition leaders joining the protests, Dipke also sees some sort of a turning point in national politics.
“We have forced the government to listen. Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation proves our strength. We will escalate peacefully if reforms stall, but our goal is systemic change.”
Asked about criticism of his past association with Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, Dipke dismissed it.
“I have worked with many groups. Today, I represent students. The CJP is not about politics and political parties but giving young people a space and voice.”
The resignation of the Education Minister is only the beginning. This is the first victory,” he said, adding that the fight is far from over and they will continue until students get the reforms they are demanding and deserve.
