On July 20, 2026, police used tear gas, batons, and sticks to disperse thousands of peaceful protestors of the youth-led Cockroach Movement near India’s parliament. Videos circulated on social media showing police beating protestors and dragging them away and protestors crying and pleading with officers not to hit them, fueling public outrage. As a result of the crackdown, dozens of people were injured. Despite this, protestors vowed not to back down until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned over alleged failures in India’s examination system. Hundreds remained camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, under heavy police presence.
Reflecting on Monday’s protests, 25-year-old Taru stated, “The day was so wholesome to start with, there was so much love. But after 3 p.m. the police started attacking us. They were bashing us like anything. I saw them come up and hit people on the head as they were sitting down on the pavement doing nothing. And then as we were running, they opened up tear gas on us.” In response to the attacks, opposition M.P. Dimple Yadav said, “Students have been beaten. Today will be remembered as a black day for democracy and for our history.” Aakar Patel, Amnesty International India’s Chair of Board, explained that, “The images and reports emerging from the protest at Jantar Mantar show how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India. The police reportedly used unnecessary and excessive force against peaceful protesters and installed barricades to prevent them from reaching Parliament. Authorities also suspended metro services and mobile internet, further restricting the exercise of the right to peaceful assembly.”
The crackdown on peaceful protesters represents a clear violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Amnesty International notes that “the rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly are recognized in Articles 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – to which India is a state party, as well as in Article 19 of the Constitution of India.” Denying protestors the right to march and beating them for peacefully protesting is an undeniable violation of their rights. Moving forward, peaceful protests must be allowed in India, without unnecessary violence from police, as protest is a fundamental right. Furthermore, authorities need to investigate the abuses against these student protestors and ensure that those responsible are prosecuted, thus providing justice to the victims.
The Cockroach Janata Party began as a satirical online joke back in May after postgraduate student Abhijeet Dipke heard India’s chief justice, Surya Kant, dismiss India’s unemployed youth as “cockroaches.” Supporters embraced the term as a symbol of resilience, with the movement gaining widespread popularity first online and now in person. The Cockroach movement quickly evolved into a youth-led movement focused on exam leaks, unemployment, and government accountability. Now, the Cockroach movement has drawn students, professionals, and families, while being a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
Back in May, a leak of exam papers for a national entrance exam to medical college forced the exam to be cancelled and rescheduled two weeks after students took it. This exam is extremely competitive, with more than two million students competing for 130,000 places. This event has been linked to more than 20 suicides and has contributed to widespread frustration regarding India’s education system and a lack of job opportunities for India’s youth. Economist Roas Abraham said that “40% of India’s university graduates under the age of 25 are unemployed: It’s among the highest rates in decades.” This wave of protests gained widespread momentum after the Delhi police forcibly removed Sonam Wangchuk, an education activist on a hunger strike for 21 days in solidarity with the students. Protesters were later joined by opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who was briefly detained by police during a sit-in outside Modi’s residence.
The crackdown also revived criticism over Modi’s handling of dissent and use of force to respond to protests. Ratna Singh, a C.J.P. spokesperson, stated that during the Modi government’s 12 years in power, “Anyone who has tried to speak up against this government has faced terrorism charges or tax raids or jail and there is so much fear.” Indian authorities also have a history of shutting down the internet during protests. Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, stated that “India’s police have a long history of committing serious human rights violations with impunity.” These examples illustrate how human rights violations of protestors have become a recurring concern in India.
On July 25, 2026, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned. A few hours later, government negotiators accepted the students’ other demands, including a charter for exam reform. In return, C.J.P. leaders called for an end to the protests. While this is good news for the students, this does not make up for the human rights violations and violence that these protestors endured. Until the wider grievances of India’s youth are addressed, there will likely continue to be unrest and further protests. Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly must be protected to ensure further unrest can be solved through conversation and negotiation, rather than violence.
