India’s student movement shuns politics, stays pressure group

NEW DELHI – The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which spearheaded India’s biggest student protests in recent years, said it will not become a political party, opting instead to remain a “pressure group” after weeks of demonstrations forced Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace his education minister.

At a meeting in Maharashtra to decide its next steps, leaders of the group agreed to turn their movement into a nationwide campaign focused on education, jobs and government accountability.

“Looking at the state of political parties in this country, we would rather focus our energy on grassroots work, accountability and reform,” CJP spokesman Saurav Das said after the meeting. “We believe that is where our energy can be used most effectively.”

By staying out of elections, CJP says it plans to preserve its independence and press whichever party is in power for change. The move also leaves the organisation free to campaign across party lines and without the constraints of electoral politics.

The nationwide outreach campaign will begin in September, with volunteers travelling to villages and cities to gather feedback on challenges facing students, young workers and families, CJP’s founder Abhijeet Dipke said.

Called “Kya Bolti Public”, or “What Does the Public Say”, it is intended to build on the momentum from the protests and broaden the group’s reform agenda.

CJP plans to campaign against rising fees at private schools, colleges and test preparation centres, while pressing for improvements at government schools. Dipke said the cost of higher education and coaching is pushing families into debt and making it harder for parents to educate their children.

The group began as a social media joke before growing into a mass student movement within two months. It helped channel anger over repeated exam paper leaks, rising education costs and other failures in India’s education system. BLOOMBERG