Parody Cockroach Janta political party’s rise reflects youth anger in India

It began as a satirical online project after a high court judge compared unemployed young people to cockroaches. Now millions of young Indians are flocking to it as an outlet for their frustration. A parody political party with the insect as its symbol has exploded across India’s social media by turning absurdist humour into protest. Memes and short videos mocking corruption, joblessness and political dysfunction have flooded social media sites, where millions of users are embracing the cockroach – an insect known for its ability to survive harsh conditions – as a tongue-in-cheek symbol of endurance. The online movement’s rise has been unusually rapid. The Cockroach Janta (people’s) party, or CJP, set up its website and social media accounts on Saturday. By Thursday, its Instagram page had amassed more than 15 million followers, far surpassing the 8.8 million of Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) on the platform. “Nothing of this was intentional,” said the CJP founder, Abhijeet Dipke, a political communications strategist and Boston University student. The movement’s rise reflected mounting frustration among young Indians, he said. “It is the younger people who were actually very frustrated. They didn’t have any outlet. …