In this episode of The Political Dispatch, we turn our attention to India, the world’s largest democracy, where a student-led protest movement has grown into a major political story.

Rather than interviewing a guest, Tom and Lily put Sidd in the hot seat. As someone from India who closely follows the country’s politics, Sidd takes us through the events surrounding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, the exam scandal and student protests that preceded it, and the emergence of the self-styled Cockroach Janta Party.

We explore how the movement grew from a viral social media campaign into a nationwide protest, the role of India’s opposition parties and independent media, and the very different ways the government and protesters have framed what happened.

We also look beyond the immediate protests to ask what this movement could mean for Indian democracy. Is the Cockroach Janta Party simply a protest movement, or could it become a genuine challenge to India’s political establishment? And what might the growing political engagement of India’s younger generation mean for the country’s future?

Please leave a rating, share a comment, and subscribe!

To connect with Tom, Lily or Sidd, please find them on Instagram: @sparetom, @lilymott3, and @siddkurapati.

For more information about the show, please find Be the change. Media Network on Instagram: @bethechangemedianetwork.

Opinions shared by the guests and hosts of this show are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Be the change. Media Network.