Leaders of India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement said the government has asked for time until Saturday afternoon to respond on their demand for the education minister’s resignation, after talks with two ministers on Friday.
The talks came on the heels of activist Sonam Wangchuk calling off his 26-day hunger strike, a move that had fueled optimism for a potential resolution as massive crowds of aggrieved young demonstrators continued to occupy the national capital.
Despite the dialogue, spokespersons for the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) have made it clear that their nightly sit-ins will persist unless Minister Pradhan steps down. The protests, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of participants nationwide, have evolved into a significant political challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, which initially attempted to downplay the unrest during its first few weeks.
The government’s shift in approach began last Saturday, when authorities ‘forcibly’ removed Wangchuk from the protest site and placed him under medical observation, citing health risks.
The situation escalated further two days later, when Delhi police cracked down on demonstrators trying to march toward Parliament, resulting in numerous injuries and igniting widespread public outrage.
In a bid to quell the turmoil, Prime Minister Modi released a vertically shot video message late Thursday night, a format clearly designed to engage the Instagram-savvy younger generation, in which he pledged to introduce stringent new legislation to combat the examination paper leaks that lie at the heart of the agitation.
However, with the CJP vowing to maintain pressure until their core leadership demand is met, all eyes remain on the government’s forthcoming response by Saturday afternoon.
