Politics taz
The taz foreign podcast: Cockroaches against Modi – who are India’s Gen Z rebels?
The “cockroaches” in India have been protesting against the Hindu nationalist government for months. Who is behind the wave of protests and what are their goals? more...
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In India, young people have been demonstrating for months under the banner of the “Cockroach Movement”. In the summer they complained about abuses in the education system and ultimately got the education minister to resign.
The movement is currently denouncing the deletion of the voter lists in a second wave of protests. The Modi government has removed over 130 million names from the registers - a step that, in the eyes of the demonstrators, is also directed against minorities and poor people.
Associated with the cockroach movement is the satirical party Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). The name is a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Hindu nationalist BJP. The speakers and chairmen of the CJP have been arrested or taken into custody by the police several times.
But how can the CJP and the movement be positioned ideologically? What do they want to achieve? And what are the chances that they can really pose a threat to Modi's power? taz correspondent Leon Holly talks about this with India correspondent Natalie Mayroth.
The episode was recorded on October 21, 2026 at 11 a.m. CET.