Cockroach Janta Party, Gyanesh Kumar & The Battle Over Democracy, Dissent & Voters’ Rights

One cannot rule out the possibility of Abhijeet Dipke, like Umar Khalid before him, getting arrested under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Although the act applies to terrorism and radicalization, the government can always extend its application to apply to street protests. When Dipke founded the Cockroach Janta Party, he is reported to have said that if he were a Muslim, like Umar Khalid, he would surely have been arrested. But Dipke is a Dalit and an Ambedkarite, and though he has played this down, he should be prepared to use the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against his enemies, if the need arises. He should watch out for slurs that may come his way by the establishment that has grown terrified of him.

The July protest at Jantar Mantar that ended in Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation gained traction on account of Sonam Wangchuk’s twenty-day fast. Is there no body willing to go on a fast this time round? If not for twenty days, at least for ten? This Gandhian approach guarantees results. Gyanesh Kumar may be obliged to resign, if for nothing else, only because somebody is about to die of thirst and hunger.

Speaking of Gyanesh Kumar, he reminds me of a fable by the poet Arun Kolatkar, in which a shepherd conspires with tigers to attack sheep, ignoring the concerns of his sheep dog. The tigers here are the government, the shepherd the Chief Election Commissioner, the disenfranchised voters the sheep, and Abhijeet Dipke the sheep dog. The poor sheep dog loses out in the fable--the tigers and the shepherd prove too powerful for him. We hope this will not be the case with Abhijeet Dipke and the Cockroach Janta Party.

Gyanesh Kumar also reminds me of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where the pigs’ favourite slogan is: All animals are equal But some are more equal than others.

Likewise, for Gyanesh Kumar, all voters are equal, but some voters are more equal than others. They are obviously the ones who vote for the BJP.

The thing about cockroaches is that they cannot be eliminated with ease. They multiply and proliferate. If that weren’t the case, we wouldn’t have had pesticide companies like Union Carbide that killed, not just cockroaches, but also human beings in the Bhopal gas leak of 1984. Already, we have been told that a new cockroach, Ajinkya Shinde, will now lead the protests in place of Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka who have been detained by the Delhi Police.

The government has called the protestors anarchists. But in cultural theory, anarchy is a means of dismantling and not maintaining the status quo.  Noam Chomsky, who defended anarchy, defined it as “dismantling unjustified authority.” Chomsky wrote: “Anarchism is not a romantic fable but the hardheaded realization, based on five thousand years of experience, that we cannot entrust the management of our lives to kings, priests, politicians, generals, and county commissioners.”

Maintaining the status quo here amounts to having a Chief Election Commissioner who decides who can vote, who wins elections, and who can remove him from office. In short, a Chief Election Commissioner who is God.  

Moreover, if the Cockroach Janta Party are anarchists, what is one to call those who protested against them, both in Bombay on 2^nd October, and Delhi on 9^th October? The cops turned a blind eye to their protests. Orwell, again: All anarchists are equal, but some anarchists are more equal than others.

It’s just as well that Gen Z doesn’t watch television, and gets all its dope on social media. For, the inanity of television anchors has to be seen (and heard) to be believed. They ask the CJP questions like, “So, what’s the endgame?” But that’s like asking who the murderer in an Agatha Christie novel is before reading it. That’s like asking for spoilers. Why can’t television anchors wait to see how the saga plays out?

Another question the Godi/Modi media is fond of asking the CJP is: “So, are the Congress and you rivals?” This only proves that they are the B-team of the BJP. The attempt is to destroy the protests by driving a wedge between protestors, instead of lauding them for their solidarity.

Finally, television spokespersons, especially those not representing the ruling dispensation, need a lesson or two in the art of repartee. When statements like, “Rahul Gandhi hasn’t won a single election,” are thrown at them, all they need to say is: “Exactly. How can he win when Modi steals his votes?”