According to Al Jazeera, a wave of India’s youth protesters is using irreverent humour and memes to challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This online‑centric tactic represents a novel approach in a protest movement that has been building since last year.
The Al Jazeera report notes that the movement, dubbed the ‘cockroach’ campaign by some, uses viral imagery to resonate with younger audiences. While it provides no official numbers or quotes, it highlights the meme strategy as a defining feature. Separate coverage from The Guardian, the South China Morning Post and The New York Times reports that the education minister resigned, framing the resignation as a major victory for the youth demonstrators.
The protests target perceived shortcomings in education policy and illustrate a growing trend of political dissent in India that uses online media.