Cockroach and cause

People trying to wrap their heads around the sudden emergence of Abhijeet Dipke’s Cockroach Janta Party are making the mistake of trying to assess how many followers he has. Neither the massive online numbers nor the modest turnouts at his meetings is a true indication of the chord he has touched with ordinary folk.

We covered the Jantar Mantar protest in Delhi. It wasn’t easy to be out in the open for long hours in Delhi temperatures, but people came — first in a trickle and then in a steady stream. Each one of them, of different ages and walks of life, seemed to be there by choice and with concerns that mattered to them. We can certainly vouch for the innumerable cockroaches we spoke to. For each cockroach that turned up there would be many who exist but didn’t come.

It is not easy to protest in today’s India and doubly so in Delhi. Protests have been stared down, students have been in jail on flimsy charges and Jantar Mantar itself has been out of bounds for NGOs and activists. It is puzzling, therefore, why this protest was permitted.

Did the Modi government see in it a convenient safety valve to release growing unhappiness with its performance? Education and employment are sore points. The centrallized exam system has problems. Dipke’s movement captures the angst of the young, their ire against nepotism and the indifference of the elite to a crumbling education system and job market. The young don’t seem to have a future in India.

As the Narendra Modi government completes 12 years, claiming economic growth figures that are higher than those of the UPA, a rising tide of people are dissatisfied with the lives they are being forced to lead. The Cockroach Janta Party brings their concerns together. The question is whether it diverts attention from the Congress and Rahul  Gandhi.

Our story on cashew apple juice in this issue highlights the challenges that farmers face in taking their ideas to market. Cashew apple juice is a drink with great potential. It is full of health benefits. But, try as farmers might, they lack the supportive systems to create value addition and enhance their livelihoods. States and the Centre need to wake up.

In our interview of the month, Dr Alexander Thomas emphasizes the need for a better system for resolving disputes between doctors and patients. The Consumer Act is not working. It is important to build trust between the medical profession and citizens.

There’s also an interview with Ziaul Alam of CITU on how Left unions feel about the Labour Codes. Our Living section offers you the Good Doll, Nilah, and a peek into the world of spies and journalists with Shyam Bhatia’s first novel.