By Cedric Prakash
Ahmedabad, October 14, 2026: The word ‘cockroach’ is today an ‘in-word’ in India! – thanks to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant. He used the word during a Supreme Court hearing on May 15, 2026.
Though the CJI used it in a particular context, the derogatory concept sparked unprecedented backlash and the creation of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a parody social media account founded by political communications strategist Abhijeet Dipke.
Its meme-fuelled satire gathered followers by the millions and grew into a social movement, touching on subjects including disenfranchisement, press freedom, and corruption. Early on, its influence was far greater online than on the ground- today they are all out on the streets.
They are no full stops. They have been continuing with unwavering commitment! Gen Z is showing the way!
On the afternoon July 25, when the Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan finally submitted his resignation, it was one step on their journey! It was a key demand of the Cockroach Janata Party and for thousands of other agitating students and youth all over the country. There were massive celebrations all over!
The resignation of the Education Minister, however, is just the beginning- the tip of the iceberg! They want much more! Gen Z is showing the way!
October 2 2026 was a memorable day, a historical one! True, it is the birth anniversary of the Father of the nation: Mahatma Gandhi! Gandhi Jayanti! We need to celebrate his memory and contribution always!
There were, of course, those routine ‘programs’: high on cosmetics and tokenism, photo-ops and lip-service; low on content and substance, internalization and action.
This year, however, it was different; it was special. The youth of India were on the rise like never before. A new awakening, a greater determination! It was all about a new tomorrow, a hope-filled future! Gen Z is showing the way!
They were on the streets! Everywhere in large numbers! They sang, and they danced! They shouted slogans. Their body language is positive, exuding confidence like never before.
Their ‘do or die spirit reminds one of the fiery speech Mahatma Gandhi gave at Gowalia Tank Maidan (today known as ‘August Kranti Maidan’) in Mumbai on the night of 8/9 August 1942.
That marked the launch of the Quit India Movement. He said, “There is a mantra, a short one that I give you. You imprint it in your heart and let every breath of yours give an expression to it.
The mantra is ‘do or die’. We shall either be free or die in the attempt.” It is that spirit that epitomises the youth of today as they sing “we are one! We shall overcome! Hum Honge Kamiyaab!” Gen Z is showing the way!
Something unimaginable took place in the city of Ahmedabad! This is the home turf of Modi and Shah. On 2 October, more than 200 youth had gathered outside the Gujarat University gate! They were clear about their intentions!
They wanted the CEC to go! They wanted the Government to go! They shouted slogans against the rape culture that is permeating society! ‘Down down patriarchy’, they yelled! ‘Nari Shakti’ was the code.
Some weeks earlier, on the July 21 evening hundreds of students came out walking together, singing as though they were on a picnic.
There were droves of them. Shouting slogans, of course: “Modi hatao! Desh Bachao!” People were rubbing their eyes and ears! This in Ahmedabad of all places! Well, it is happening! Some were detained!
On October 2, too, the police were in huge numbers! They were obviously given orders not to do anything. They were like silent spectators!! Gen Z is showing the way!
‘Gandhi for Gen Z: The Mahatma is suddenly cool again’ is a documentary by ‘The Hindu’. The thirty-five-minute reel leaves one spellbound.
It is interspersed with interviews and comments from some of the nation’s brilliant minds. The core premise which the documentary expounds is that Gandhi’s vision and ideals are still relevant.
Gen Z, however, has a new idiom where Gandhi is concerned: there are the sit -in’s and fasts like true satyagrahis; yes, there are protests. There is a difference now and that is in their humor, their songs and their slogans! Gen Z is showing the way!
They are articulate and convincing, they are well-informed and have facts and figures at their fingertips. On October 7, at noon they held a well-attended press conference at the Press Club in New Delhi, India.
They would easily put any media-savvy person to shame. Much more Modi their bête noire – who has never had the courage to address a press conference as the Prime Minister! Gen Z is showing the way!
Gen Z today are visible and vocal They use social media: memes and cartoons. Instagram and Facebook! They don’t behave like the others. They are creative and innovative! They are one step ahead of the others.
Sometime ago, one of them was asked where they get the money to support their protests. The retort was sharp and without hesitation ‘“We get it from the PM Cares Fund”.
Of course no one believes that immediate retort – but it did put the one asking the question in a kind of a quandary!
No one knows how much money has actually been generated by the PM Cares Fund and much less how much and for whom it is being used!
So in a way, this was a clever, tactical shift, setting a paradigm shift, providing a different narrative! Gen Z is showing the way!
Yes, throughout the language of their protests is distinctively internet-native, as the young protesters defied intimidation using memes, Gen Z slang, creative posters, and dark humour to criticise the actions of the government and the police.
Instagram videos became the go-to medium for obtaining information and countering disinformation for many people following the protest.
Bollywood celebrities also began voicing their support for the movement, and people from India and abroad sent food, water, and amenities to the protest grounds in a show of solidarity. Gen Z is showing the way!
It is true that there have been hundreds of thousands of protests all over the country; that can never be negated!
In recent memory we have had the small farmers coming out in thousands to protest what the Government is doing to the agricultural sector. There are human rights activists and other civil society leaders who have been taking on the Government at great risk!
This however is different; Gen Z seems to have awoken to the terrible conditions the fascist regime has plunged the nation into. They are taking a stand about it! They have come out in droves, leaving their comfort zones.
They are providing new hope and new impetus to all, including the opposition political parties. One thing is sure, despite using the police and other forces for their benefit, this Government is scared! They really do not know how to deal with the youth force of the nation! Gen Z is showing the way!
Gen Z is showing the way: to a new and better India! They are fighting against corruption and communalism; against exclusion and exploitation; against denigration and division; against the rot in the educational system and in the electoral system!
All this and much more! They are determined to have an India where truth and justice, where liberty and equality, where fraternity and diversity, where secularism and socialism reign supreme.
Where the mind is held high and knowledge is free! Where Constitutional values are guaranteed and the democratic ethos is protected! …They are convinced that “we shall overcome!”
(Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash is a renowned human rights, reconciliation, and peace activist trainer and writer. Contact: cedricprakash@gmail.com)