Narendra Modi Spent 13 Years Building His Image. Gen Z Dismantled It in 4 Days

India's youth are employing a potent weapon against their government: humor. As thousands of demonstrators take to the streets demanding accountability and education reforms, a parallel campaign is unfolding online, where protesters are flooding social media with memes, parody videos, and self-deprecating jokes.

This digital offensive is effectively turning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's own strategy against him. Modi, who meticulously built his political brand through social media, now finds protesters using the same platforms to mock his administration. They are ridiculing pro-government television news coverage, transforming confrontations with police into viral content, and seizing control of the online narrative.

The "Cockroach" movement's digital campaign is largely powered by humor. Clashes with police are becoming viral content, with videos showing protesters joking about maintaining their fitness app streaks while evading police baton charges. Others edit footage of themselves dodging barricades to mimic popular mobile games. Some women have adopted influencer culture, posting "get ready with me" videos before marches and "fit check" posts showcasing their protest gear.

Protesters are also creating spoof videos that mock pro-government television anchors and their dramatic broadcasting styles, which have labeled demonstrators as "anti-national" and "foreign-funded conspirators." For many young protesters, these memes offer more than comic relief; they are a coping mechanism. A 25-year-old protester noted that her generation has little patience for "simply putting up with it," contrasting with older generations who endured hardship. The current protests were initially fueled by anger over exam scandals, including the illegal sharing of entrance exams for the national medical program, which protesters believe have jeopardized their futures and eroded trust in the education system. While protesters demand the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the demonstrations have broadened into wider anger over government accountability.

“

If our phone data runs out, we can’t even bear that. So we’re definitely not going to tolerate this.