Social movements may reflect deep systemic anguish or distrust in the system. Whether the Cockroach Janta Party remains just an online satirical page or becomes an alternate political force is for all of us to watch out for.
Saleem Yousuf Rather
The rise of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its mass following has become a national rage. It was triggered by comments made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI). It is unprecedented that a mere comment can turn into a phenomenon. The satirical ‘page’ crossed millions of followers within a few days. Even by the volatile standards of how social media works, we can still call this an anomaly. It seems the person at the centre of it all still looks confounded by this huge public following and its virtual transformation into an online movement.
Social media has transformed how information is delivered—its speed, frequency, and range. It has formed new friendships, identities, and social life. It has a visible impact on human emotions: compassion, empathy, kindness, envy, competition, and jealousy. It almost perfects your preferences and prejudices. Here, biases find their perfect reflection through algorithms. You live in a cocoon.
Social media is not like a physical landscape—a shop front or a salon where people assemble and communicate. Here, engagement-driven algorithms shape human behaviour, amplify emotions, reward outrage, and unintentionally contribute to polarisation. Here, ‘attention’ is the currency. Algorithms do not necessarily favour truth or falsehood; they favour engagement. Online communities often become echo chambers where members reinforce one another’s beliefs and grow hostile towards others.
Social media does not just reinforce biases. It inflates human behaviour. It alters how people shape opinions, build identities, and experience social belonging. People increasingly perform for audiences rather than directly communicate with individuals. These platforms serve many ends. While political parties effectively use them for campaigning, they can also lead to mob violence, the spread of conspiracy theories, radicalisation or extremism, and even ethnic violence. We cannot remain oblivious to this fact.
In the Indian context, social media has been effectively used by political parties. Yet its use as an agent of social and political movements is bleak, to say the least. Last year, a teacher at a reputed coaching institute was visibly aghast with his students for failing to join a sit-in protest against the NTA, as the students had only concurred with it online. The point is that online visibility does not easily translate into physical movement, not to speak of an effective social movement.
Even social movements are not our nemesis. They may reflect deep systemic anguish or distrust in the system. We may also expect social movements to operate within the limits of the law of the land. In this context, whether the Cockroach Janta Party remains just an online satirical page or becomes an alternate political force is for all of us to watch out for.
The writer is an Alumnus Department of Political Science, University of Kashmir
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