Students rock 'Lashkar-e-Modi' in India

Narendra Modi has never faced such an awkward political challenge at home in his entire 12 years in power. The country claiming to be Vishwaguru missed the point that no country can become a world leader unless its knowledge base is strong. Modi's own National Education policy promises to spend 6% of the GDP on education, but remains unfulfilled.

What started as a satire in May when Chief Justice of India Surya Kant compared the unemployed youth with 'cockroaches', the Boston-based communications strategist seized the moment, and asked online if all the cockroaches in India were ready to join hands, and if so, what would be the consequences?

Gen Z responded and formed a huge movement which, for the first time, challenged Lashkar-e-Modi's tyranny and fascism being exercised for long. The youth were genuinely angry over unemployment, multiple scandals in examination system, paper leaks and the Modi government's absolute indifference towards their future. According to India's own estimates, among Indian graduates under 25, about 40% are unemployed.

But what actually kickstarted the student movement was the irregularities affecting the country's examination system, about two million affected in the medical entrance exams alone. Other irregularities were seen in the competitive exams. Therefore, the 'cockroaches' called for the resignation of Education Minister Dharmedra Pradhan. Under Modi, the universities have stopped teaching students to question authority, and that would be the most damaging legacy of this regime.

The 'maun' (silent) Modi government has been ignoring the students' call for long. This time they were surprised as thousands of students marched towards the parliament, with political leaders, critics, Bollywood stars and academicians joining in. Pradhan resigned on July 25, 2026. So the "emperor (Modi) had no clothes", as put by writer Arundhati Roy.

The key factor here was a 26-day hunger strike by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk. Police brutality was at its peak during this time. They used batons, tear gas, and even pellet guns, allegedly, that wounded the students. Before that pellet guns were only used by the security forces in IIOJ&K.

The National University of Singapore's Institute of South Asian Studies described it as the first resignation of a Modi cabinet minister brought about by intense public pressure. Carnegie Endowment scholar Milan Vaishnav said the government's familiar strategy for dealing with protests was no longer working: "They were not easily able to undermine the credibility of the protesters."

And now the same 'cockroaches' are back at Jantar Mantar, calling upon Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign, accusing him of complicity with Modi and Co, in deleting millions of voters in anti-BJP pockets, mostly Muslims, to damage the cause of other political parties, and weaken their voter base to win elections. The Election Commission said it was deleting duplicate or ineligible voters but it has not only challenged the credibility of India's electoral system but also exposed its claim of being the world's largest democracy.

And in this democracy, during the protests, women were groped, beaten, humiliated, dragged, mistreated and injured by Delhi police. Women filmed their injuries and put images on social media. AISA president Neha Bora said: "We may have been treated like dogs, animals and insects, but we are citizens and asking questions is our right."

Icing on the cake: Delhi Police ACO Vivek Bhagat, named in alleged sexual harassment of female journalists during these protests, has been promoted to the rank of additional DCP.

Even leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, said: "What's happening in Delhi right now follows a single pattern: silence any woman who dares to ask questions", while asking: "Mr Amit Shah - why are you and your [Delhi] police so afraid of women?"

Modi can tame journalists into 'godi media', defame political opponents and show disregard to international criticism, but he cannot ignore the 'cockroaches' any more. Although they are powerless, but they have started crawling through Modi's safely guarded image of invincibility, and it is becoming harder and harder to hide it.