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🇸🇬 Singapore /Crime & Justice

India's 'cockroach' movement supporters march despite police ban

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Hundreds of supporters of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement gathered in New Delhi to protest, demanding the education minister's resignation despite police denying permission.
  • The movement, which gained millions of social media followers, was galvanized after activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly moved to a hospital while on a hunger strike.
  • Protesters are demanding an end to corruption and paper leaks in national medical school entrance exams, which affected over 2 million students.

Hundreds of supporters of India's youth-led "cockroach" movement converged in New Delhi, defying a police ban to march on parliament. They are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged corruption and leaks in the national medical school entrance test.

The months-old movement represents a significant public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration. It has garnered millions of supporters online and mobilized ground support, particularly after police forcibly moved hunger-striking activist Sonam Wangchuk to a hospital. Thousands of supporters arrived at the protest site overnight, coinciding with the opening day of parliament's monsoon session.

Quit, quit. Dharmendra Pradhan quit. Narendra Modi quit

— ProtestersChants by protesters demanding the resignation of the education minister and prime minister.

Security personnel were heavily deployed at the protest site, raising concerns of a potential standoff. Protesters chanted slogans calling for the resignation of both the education minister and the prime minister. The movement gained momentum after national medical school entrance exam papers were leaked in May, forcing over 2 million students to retake the test.

All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak

— Adi NathanA 21-year-old student explaining his reasons for protesting.

"All these leaders in power are illiterate and I am here to protest because we do not want question papers to leak," said 21-year-old student Adi Nathan. Another student, Mohammed Tabrez, 22, stated, "We want this corruption to end. We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end and this is the reason I have come here."

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and his supporters began a sit-in last month. Wangchuk joined their hunger strike on June 28. In a note from the hospital, Wangchuk stated he would end his fast if the government takes accountability for educational failures and paper leaks, or if protesters are allowed to reach parliament with assurances that their issues will be addressed.

We want this corruption to end. We want all the frauds in paper leaks, in competitive examinations to end and this is the reason I have come here.

— Mohammed TabrezA 22-year-old student expressing his desire for an end to corruption and exam fraud.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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