Leaders of the youth-led Cockroach Janta Party met with India’s government in New Delhi on Friday and came away with a deadline, not a deal. The government asked for time until Saturday afternoon to answer the group’s demand that Dharmendra Pradhan resign.
For protesters, that was enough to keep the pressure on. The Cockroach Janta Party said its demonstrations would continue peacefully until all three demands were met: Pradhan’s resignation, an assurance that no criminal cases would be pursued against protesters, and compensation of about $105,000 for families of students who died by suicide after exam paper leaks and cancellations.
The talks mattered because the dispute has grown into the biggest challenge to Narendra Modi since he came to power in 2014. The issue has also spilled beyond the street. Opposition parties have echoed the Cockroach Janta Party’s demands and disrupted the monsoon session of parliament that began this week, while the federal cabinet was set to meet on Friday to discuss a draft that would amend laws to punish those behind exam paper leaks.
Saurav Das said the group would explain its demands “in greater detail” and hoped the government would listen. A day earlier, he had said the movement was not backing out, arguing that real awakening starts from the grassroots. Sonam Wangchuk also ended a 26-day hunger strike overnight before the Friday talks, a sign that the pressure around the protests was widening, not easing.
But the government’s willingness to talk has not calmed the movement. Protesters have rejected the proposed law changes, saying the examination system must be fixed so leaks do not happen in the first place. As a result, Saturday afternoon is now the next moment that will show whether the government is ready to meet the demand for Pradhan to go, or whether the protests will keep spreading across India.
