Активисты поколения Z в Индии призывают к маршу в парламент после принудительного удаления активиста

Thousands of mostly student protesters are expected to march from the Jantar Mantar site in New Delhi to the Parliament on July 20, the first day of the monsoon legislative session. The demonstration follows the police removal of activist Sonam Wangchuk, who had been on a 20-day hunger strike in support of the “cockroach” movement that grew out of a viral online campaign.

Police said they acted on a court order and Wangchuk’s deteriorating health, but his wife Gitanjali J Angmo described the hospitalization as an illegal detention. The movement’s founder, Abhijeet Dipke, urged supporters to demand the resignations of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, whom the protesters accuse of failing to address repeated exam paper leaks and related student suicides.

"This march is to reclaim our India. It is the fight for a better future, not just for students but for this country as well. People must show up in large numbers and somehow reach the parliament," said Saurav Das, chief spokesman of the Cockroach Janta Party.

The protest site has seen a heavy police and paramilitary presence, and other activist groups have expressed solidarity with the planned march. Wangchuk, an engineer-turned-educator from Ladakh, has called the protest “India’s second freedom movement” and urged participants to remain peaceful despite provocations.

"Until now, we were demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, but after this act, we will now demand the resignation of Narendra Modi," Dipke told reporters.

Students such as Delhi University sophomore Shreya Kumar said they are prepared to face police action and continue the demand for the ministers’ resignations. The authorities have not yet responded publicly to the planned march.