Books, flowers and a cause: Gen Z activism at Jantar Mantar

What began as an Instagram joke unfolded into a sprawling gathering at Jantar Mantar, where young people assembled under the banner of the Cockroach Janta Party. Books, flowers and Indian Tricolours dotted the crowd. Cockroach masks and pamphlets lay scattered across the pavement as students moved through the gathering, handing out flowers. The organisers framed the protest as a peaceful act of participation. “Looking forward to meet you all at Jantar Mantar. Do not forget to carry a book and our Tiranga! Offer flowers to policemen as a gesture of compassion & gratitude. We have to lead this movement with love! ,” the invite read.‘Gen Z ke protest bhi funny hote hain’Even as it moves offline, the movement remains rooted in the internet-first satire that helped it resonate with Gen Z. Niharika Singh, second year student from LSR, was seen holding a red rose in the protest. Joining the protest alone, she said, “The flower symbolises a peaceful protest – that we come bearing flowers with our demands, nothing else. I’m here in solidarity with all students, it’s not only people who gave entrances. It’s the fact that no one is taking accountability. I came here partly because of curiosity. I wanted to see what a party formed as a joke is capable of doing. I’m surprised to see the crowd and it’s majorly Gen Z, which is a humorous, satirical generation in their own ways. I wish ki hamare protests bhi aise hi ho – funny and lighthearted but ones that make a difference.”‘Mere education ke liye main khud ladd sakti hoon’Carrying a chemistry book in hand, Sameeksha from Faridabad, a first year student of forensic science, who joined the protest in support of friends who gave NEET this year, said, “Gen Z can do anything they put their mind to. No one can suppress our voice. With Gen Z, now Gen Alpha is also rising. I have seen reels of little kiddos talking about these important issues. This is because of social media, if we weren’t on social media, this protest would not be happening. The Internet is keeping us united.”She added, “I really hope that there is a resolution because I have studied for NEET too, and sat in 20 hour live sessions. And people give years of their lives to these exams. My parents did not want me to attend the protest but I told them, “mere education ke liye koi aur kyu, main hi ladd sakti hoon!”‘Tiranga symbolises freedom of speech today’A sign of nationalism, protesters held up the Tricolour and waved it high in the air. Gagan, a sales worker from Agra, shared, “Tiranga aaj freedom of speech symbolise karta hai. Students ke yahan hone se protest mein josh aata hai lekin unke gharwale darr jaate hain unki safety ke baare mein. Meri family ne bhi kaha ki main cockroach ki T-shirt na pehnu.”Carrying Ambedkar’s autobiography and a copy of the Constitution, Gaurav, a student from DU SOL, noted, “We have brought books to show that we are students and not aggressive protesters and we have the constitution to remind people of our rights. This being a Gen Z protest has more enthusiasm and we are not going to back down like millennials and boomers. We are voicing the distress of students.”