HRLN on the repression of ‘Cockroach’ protests in India
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has emerged as one of the largest youth-led movements in India in recent years. Its name is a pointed reference to remarks made by the Chief Justice of India comparing unemployed youth who engage in journalism, social media, RTI and activism to “cockroaches.”
What began as an online campaign soon developed into a nationwide movement following allegations of irregularities in the NEET examination, with students and young people demanding accountability and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The protests subsequently broadened into a wider expression of concerns around youth unemployment, transparency and public accountability. Following sustained protests, the Union Education Minister resigned and the Government announced measures concerning examination reforms.
The response to the movement has, however, raised serious concerns about the shrinking space for peaceful protest and the use of increasingly intrusive policing and surveillance technologies. Reports have documented the deployment of facial recognition technology, AI-enabled surveillance vans, and other monitoring systems at protest sites. Delhi Police also reportedly hired cameramen to record the demonstrations. Footage has also shown Delhi Police personnel wearing Meta smart glasses, although the police have not publicly clarified their operational purpose. There have additionally been reports of arbitrary detention and excessive use of force, including lathi charges, tear gas and the use of pellet guns.
These incidents have prompted legal challenges before several High Courts and the Supreme Court, questioning the legality and proportionality of the police response to peaceful assembly, restrictions imposed on protesters and the broader use of surveillance during demonstrations.
In Delhi, HRLN lawyers were present at the various police stations until midnight to provide legal assistance to students detained in connection with the protests. During one such intervention, an incident involving one young lawyer who was allegedly assaulted, abused and detained by the police was reported, and HRLN is pursuing proceedings concerning the incident before the appropriate courts. HRLN continued to represent detained youth activists by pursuing bail applications and criminal cases arising from their participation in the protests.
HRLN Intervention in Uttarakhand
One such case arose in Uttarakhand, where Prabhat Dhyani, President of the Uttarakhand Parivartan Party, was detained by Uttarakhand Police while travelling to Delhi to participate in the “Chalo Sansad” march in solidarity with the CJP movement. Acting on instructions from his family, HRLN filed a habeas corpus petition before the Uttarakhand High Court challenging the legality of his detention.
During the hearing, the High Court questioned the legal basis for preventing Dhyani from travelling to Delhi and orally observed that an adult citizen has a constitutional right to travel anywhere in the country. The Court questioned whether prohibitory orders in Delhi could justify stopping a person in Uttarakhand from travelling to the capital. The case raised important questions concerning freedom of movement and peaceful assembly, and the limits of executive action in restricting constitutional freedoms in the context of protests.
Photo by Genes_pix via Flickr