- How the “Cockroach Movement” is upending Indian politics

In May 2026, India’s chief justice sparked controversy when he referred to the country’s unemployed youth as “cockroaches.” One young activist responded by launching a satirical political party: the Cockroach Janata Party.

While the party may have started as a joke, the movement that has grown around it is anything but.

Over the past six months, the Cockroach movement has brought tens of thousands of people to the streets, upended Indian politics, and sparked perhaps the biggest challenge to date to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government.

On this episode, guest host Patrick Heller, director of the Watson School’s Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia, discusses the movement with Yamini Aiyar, former President of the Centre for Policy Research and visiting professor of the practice at the Saxena Center. They discuss the origins of the Cockroach Janata Party, why this youth-led movement has resonated with so many Indians, and what it all might mean for the future of Indian democracy.

Learn more about the Watson School’s Saxena Center.

Watching the full conversation on YouTube.

Transcript coming soon to our website.