The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is preparing to return to the streets with a new protest march in New Delhi on September 5, just a month after it called off its 36-day agitation.
“We are back into protest because all of the promises made by the government on July 25 are not being carried out,” said Sushil Nadi, chief executive of the group.
The September 5 march will start from India Gate and move to the New Delhi Police Headquarters. CJP says the protest will be peaceful and will be led by families of students who died by suicide after the NEET-related controversy, and people who were allegedly affected by police action during the July 20 agitation.
We invite young people from all over the country to participate in the protest.
Why is CJP protesting again
The latest protest is linked to the assurances that CJP says it received on July 25. The organisation had suspended its nationwide agitation after talks with the Centre, saying it was pulling back in good faith on the understanding that the agreed commitments would be implemented.
One of the most important issues is the handling of FIRs filed against students and protesters. CJP has repeatedly demanded protection for protesters from punitive action and withdrawal or quashing of cases filed during the demonstrations.
CJP says progress on these commitments has been too slow. The organisation has claimed that the government is making the wrong decisions, relying on technicalities and not having clearly written commitments.
Recently the issue has also come to the Supreme Court where FIRs against protesters have been discussed.
CJP has also continued to raise the issue of families who lost students in the NEET-related controversy. It had called for compensation for families of students who died by suicide and so the issue has been one of the emotional focal points of the renewed mobilisation.
Why did the earlier protest end
CJP’s initial agitation started in June when it was accused of irregularity and competition problems in competitive exams.
The protest soon took off and grew further as the march on July 20 was disrupted by police. Protests also injured protesters during the clashes to heighten the campaign.
The agitation was finally stopped after the July 25 developments and government assurances. Now CJP says the lack of visible progress has undermined the trust that young protesters felt as they returned home.
The organisation has therefore adopted the slogan “Keep Your Word” for the September 5 mobilisation.
What do people say about the Fresh Protest
The online response seems mixed and there are still some social-media users who are in favour of another mobilisation. In one Reddit discussion of the September 5 announcement, several people said they would go to the march and said they would join.
But such comments are personal opinions from individuals on the web and not a scientific sign of public opinion.
There has also been criticism of the overall CJP movement. Veteran actor Suresh Oberoi recently questioned whether public figures who supported the earlier protests had sufficiently researched the issues before backing the campaign.
His comments provide evidence that the movement has attracted not only support, but also scepticism about its claims and methods.
So the new protest is likely to bring a new debate among students, families, political observers and social-media users.
Supporters see the march as a demand for accountability and fulfilment of promises; critics question elements of the movement and its accusations.
But for CJP, the message is simple: It feels the trust in the government’s July promises has not resulted in enough action.
The September 5 march is framed as a second demand for accountability instead of just another protest.
The date of the gathering, and the involvement of affected families and students, will also be the focus of the government in its response to the organisation’s new demands.
