Cockroach Janta Party desafía al gobierno de Modi con memes y sátira

Las calles de Nueva Delhi y el uso de redes sociales

Las calles de la capital india han sido escenario de masivas movilizaciones estudiantiles que exigen rendición de cuentas tras una serie de filtraciones de preguntas de exámenes nacionales que fueron circuladas en redes sociales. Modi built his political brand through social media. Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.

El humor digital y la campaña organizada por el movimiento

El uso del humor se ha convertido en el núcleo de la campaña digital organizada por el movimiento, que desafía la narrativa oficial difundida por canales de televisión progubernamentales. Clashes with police have become viral content, and humour has become a form of protest. A protestor holds a placard with the message que cada broma es una pequeña revolución during a demonstration demanding educational reforms as part of the Cockroach Janta Party’s ongoing protest movement.

She darted through a sprinting crowd, running from a cloud of tear gas just above her head. Her eyes stung so badly she could barely see, yet she filmed the chaos on her phone. Avanshika Singh, who has been turning up for student protests that shut down the national capital, demanding the education minister’s resignation, declaró que había visto a policías golpear brutalmente a chicas desarmadas y a niños pacíficos. On her return home, the 18-year-old put together a rough cut from the chaos and captioned it on Instagram: que hoy tocaron el timbre del Parlamento y salieron corriendo. The march to the Indian parliament on July 20 against serial examination paper leaks brought the nation’s capital to a standstill as tens of thousands of protesters occupied central roads leading to the country’s corridors of power. More than 100 students were injured in a crackdown by police, operating under the direct instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. But since then, Indian internet has turned into a relentless reel of police excesses: shaky smartphone footage, rapid-fire edits pulsing to hip-hop tracks, and a tidal wave of memes and expletives. Singh, a teenager, told Al Jazeera, standing amid a sea of protesters choking Parliament Street on Wednesday, que de eso era de lo único que hablaba todo el mundo y que, a fin de cuentas, estaban televisando su revolución, y añadió que todo el país sentía hoy con ellos el escozor de las porras y los gases lacrimógenos. Twelve years ago, Modi rode to power and pioneered in many ways, leveraging social media platforms to reach the masses. Today, Gen Z is flipping his script.

Videos de estudiantes huyendo de cargas policiales

Entre las muestras más recurrentes de sátira digital figuran videos de estudiantes huyendo de cargas policiales editados para imitar el popular juego móvil Subway Surfers, mientras otros jugaban con mantener sus récords de aplicaciones de fitness durante los choques con las fuerzas de seguridad. Some women protesters have also adopted social media trends by posting get ready with me videos before joining marches and showcasing homemade protective gear such as helmets and goggles. Participants have also created parody videos mocking television anchors who have labelled the protesters as «anti-national» or accused them of being backed by foreign interests. Several protesters interviewed by The Associated Press said humour helps them cope with the stress of the demonstrations and connects with younger audiences. One 25-year-old protester said her generation is less willing to tolerate issues without fighting back.

Cockroach Janta Party

The protest movement is being led by the Cockroach Janta Party. Protesters have been demanding the resignation of Modi’s education minister, blaming him for the leak of national exam questions that were circulated on social media.