NEW DELHI: Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke on Monday said the group’s immediate priority is to strengthen its organisation following the student-led protests, asserting that the movement’s biggest success was not securing the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan but the willingness of people to question the government on matters of public interest.
Dipke, speaking to IANS said that the organisation would first regroup with its volunteers before deciding its future course of action.
“Right now our focus is to regroup. When we started this protest, our team was very small, around 10 to 20 people. But as the movement progressed, many people and volunteers came forward. Today, our volunteer team has grown to more than 300 people. First, we want to take feedback from them on what we could have done better and what mistakes could have been avoided. After that, we will decide what kind of organisation should be built and how we should move ahead,” he said.
Dipke said he viewed the movement’s greatest achievement as encouraging citizens to speak up against the government without fear.
“For me, the biggest achievement of this protest is not the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. The biggest achievement is the courage and determination shown by people to question the government, demand answers, and come out on the streets to fight for their rights. For the last 10–12 years, people were afraid to speak against the government because they feared police action, legal cases or even jail,” he said.
Calling public participation the cornerstone of democracy, Dipke argued that governments must respond to citizens’ demands.
“This is how democracy should function. When people express their concerns, the government should listen and act on them. When lakhs of students were demanding the removal of Dharmendra Pradhan, he should have been removed,” he said.
Asked whether he and his newfound outfit plan to enter electoral politics, Dipke ruled out immediate political ambitions, saying the focus remains on building the people’s movement.
“Right now, what we need is a public pressure group. Whenever democracy is under threat, what is needed is a public movement. During the Emergency, if people had thought they could end it only by contesting elections, it would not have been possible,” he said.
Dipke also described youth issues such as unemployment and education as inherently political.
“The issues faced by young people are political too. Unemployment is a political issue because it is linked to the decisions of those in power. Even the price of the toothpaste we buy is influenced by decisions taken by politicians in Parliament,” he remarked.
Reiterating the organisation’s focus on education, Dipke said the group would continue supporting students across the country.
“Wherever there is an issue related to education, we will be there. The education system in almost every state is facing challenges, and students are deeply frustrated. We will go wherever such issues arise and stand with the students,” he said.
Dipke’s remarks come as the organisation seeks to consolidate support after recent student protests, with its leadership indicating that expanding grassroots mobilisation, rather than electoral politics, remains its immediate priority.
