New Delhi: Founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, Abhijeet Dipke, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to include Gen Z as part of his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.
In a 37-second reel posted on Instagram on Thursday, Dipke said PM Modi should talk about what his government is doing for the youth of India.
“On 15 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi should tell us what he is doing for Gen Z, what he is doing for the youth, and how he can provide them with a better future”, he said.
The Cockroach Janta Party first drew national attention earlier this year through a protest over the NEET paper leaks, before broadening into a wider push for institutional accountability.
Modi’s speech
Every year during Independence Day, the PM of the country addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. For more than a decade now, PM Modi has hoisted the national flag, reviewed the guard of honour, and outlined the government’s achievements, major policies and plans on Independence Day.
This year, Dipke wants Gen Z to be a part of this elaborate speech. “We want the Prime Minister’s speech to be for Gen Z, for the youth”, he said.
In the same video, Dipke urged Gen Z to press the demand themselves.
“I also request all of you that for the next one week, please ask the Prime Minister that this time his speech should be for you–that is, for Gen Z, for the youth,” he said.
After calling off the protest at Jantar Mantar last month, Dipke has been proactively talking about the movement’s next step on social media.
The CJP conducted a two-day meet-up in Dipke’s house in Maharashtra to discuss plans for the movement. While addressing the media, Dipke said that CJP is going to be a “pressure group” and not a political party.
Dipke further argued that Indians have lost faith in the judiciary, Election Commission and media. “The support our movement received was never limited to the issue of education. As the movement grew, it became clear that it also reflected the public’s declining trust in these institutions,” he told the press.
After the two-day meet, CJP also announced a list of its core members. While Dipke continues to be the National Convenor, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka will be the co-convenors.
A tour across India
CJP also announced its “Kya Bolti Public” National Listening Tour & Education Reform Campaign on Thursday.
The campaign begins on 1 September with CJP leaders travelling across India to engage directly with young people in every corner of the country. CJP will create a “Youth Reform Charter” based on all the inputs gathered on the ground.
The delegation will hold meetings with political parties, student bodies, civil society groups and social movements that made the Jantar Mantar protest massive.
CJP plans to invite all such groups to build a broader public front.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)