‘A simple joke became a revolution’: Montrealers back India’s ‘Cockroach’ youth

A group of protesters gathered at Norman Bethune Square in Montreal Saturday to stand in support of the young people of India who are experiencing what activists call an “increase in the steady loss of democracy” leading to “unimaginable violence.”

The “Cockroach” youth movement has intensified in India since election authorities began revising voter lists last year, removing more than 130 million voters.

Protests have grown to include India’s opposition parties and its particpants are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission have denied allegations of manipulation, saying the move is needed to remove duplicate and ineligible names.

Larger protests began about a month ago related to repeated paper leaks, administrative errors and cheating scandals at the nation’s colleges.

Violence ensued over the weekend as thousands of protesters were detained in a police crackdown.

“In my opinion, they are creating a beginning stage of fascism. They are basically creating an atmosphere of fear. People cannot speak, people cannot protest, people cannot demand their justice,” Abid Khan told Global News at the solidarity protest in Montreal.

Back in May, India’s Chief Justice Surya Kant compared India’s youth to cockroaches saying they turn to social media to attack institutions without ever doing anything.

Now the nation’s youth are working to prove they are anything but, but the name stuck.

“A simple joke became a revolution,” Khan said.

Rundranil Raha told Global News he grew up in India around the time the BJP came to power in 2014.

He said he was taught that India was an inclusive country that accepted all people, but that ideology has been ripped to shreds.

He said India’s government is now “sowing the seeds of hatred that aims to divide the country.”

He said women, LGBTQ2 people and ethnic and religious minorities are carrying the brunt of the burden.

“If I am in India, I’m a male, I am a middle caste and I am Hindu so I wouldn’t have any problem if I kept my mouth shut,” Raha said. “If I am speaking out, I am afraid that I just might be the next target of this surveillance heavy rights stampeding regime.”

But Canada’s supporters of the movement are spanning further than just the Indian diaspora.

“As a Pakistani, I feel like it is my duty to also provide cross-solidarity because what happens in India does affect the rest of the region,” Zahra Haider told Global News.

Rahul Varma, another attendee of the Montreal protest, told Global News he fears what is happening in India is just one example of the rise of nationalism all across the world.

“It is not anymore a problem of a particular country,” he said.

But as solidarity is growing across Canada, the federal government is seeking to deepen its trade ties with India.

International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is in India this week as the two countries look to reach a free-trade agreement by the end of the year.

Varma said he is in support of Canada advancing its relationship with India, but only if human rights are at the forefront.

“The Canadian government has not made a significant statement against the Indian state to stop any of those activities,” he said.

Global News reached out to Global Affairs Canada for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.

– With files from Phil Carpenter, The Associated Press and The Canadian Press