Across the world, young people are increasingly becoming the face of public protests, from Nepal and Madagascar to Kenya and now India, a new generation is stepping forward to raise issues they believe directly affect their future. While the reasons behind these protests differ from country to country, they share one common message: young people want to be heard.
The recent protests by India's Cockroach Janta Party have drawn attention because of their unusual beginning through memes and satire, however, behind the humour lie concerns about unemployment, education, governance and the future of young people and this has led many observers to compare the movement with the Gen Z-led protests that recently took place in Nepal.
Nepal witnessed massive youth-led protests in 2025 where thousands of young people took to the streets against corruption, nepotism and poor governance, protesters were also angry over the banning of social media platforms, which many believed were being used to silence criticism of those in power.
Political consultant Pradip Gyawali, one of the young protesters, said many educated youths were unable to find jobs in Nepal and were forced to leave the country for education or employment and according to him, the lack of opportunities outside Kathmandu made many young people feel that they had no future at home.
The protests eventually led to the fall of Nepal's government in September 2025, a transitional government was later formed, with the promise of holding elections and giving more space to young leaders in politics.
The Nepal protests were not only about politics as young people were protesting against problems they faced in everyday life.
Their major concerns included:
Corruption in government
Nepotism in public institutions
Lack of employment opportunities
Poor governance
Restrictions on social media
Fear about their future
Many protesters believed corruption had affected education, jobs and public services, leaving young people with very few opportunities.
India's CJP movement began very differently, instead of starting on the streets, it first became popular online through memes, satire and social media campaigns. The movement was launched after remarks made during a court hearing sparked debate online. Many young people felt ignored and misunderstood, especially those struggling with unemployment and career uncertainty.
Soon, the Cockroach Janta Party gained huge support on social media by presenting itself as the "Voice of the Lazy & Unemployed."
It introduced a manifesto, party branding, recruitment forms and online campaigns while using humour to discuss serious issues.
The movement talks about:
Unemployment
Competitive exam pressure
Inflation
Political frustration
Media trust
Feeling ignored by the system
Although it is not a recognised political party, many young people say it reflects their daily struggles.
What started online has now reached the streets of Delhi, for the past several weeks, CJP supporters and students have been protesting at Jantar Mantar. Three student leaders recently ended their hunger strike after Opposition leaders assured them that their demands would be raised in Parliament, meanwhile, activist Sonam Wangchuk continues his hunger strike and according to CJP spokesperson Saurav Das, Wangchuk remains stable and has sent a message supporting the young protesters.
The CJP has also claimed that government representatives have contacted them and talks are currently under way.
On Monday, protesters gathered for the CJP's proposed Parliament march, during the protest, clashes broke out between demonstrators and security personnel, including RAF and Delhi Police. Police used lathis to disperse the crowd after the confrontation, however, Delhi Police later said reports suggesting violence or unlawful detentions were misleading and according to the police, the protest was being handled professionally and people should not believe rumours.
Because talks between government representatives and CJP members continued, the proposed Parliament march had not begun at the time of the latest update.
Although the two movements are different, they have several similarities.
Both are largely youth-driven.
Both highlight concerns about the future of young people.
Both focus on issues such as unemployment, frustration with governance and the feeling that young voices are not being heard.
Social media also played a major role in both movements by helping young people organise, communicate and spread their message quickly.
In both cases, many participants said they wanted accountability and better opportunities rather than simply expressing anger.
There are also major differences between the two movements.
Nepal's protests were primarily street demonstrations aimed at changing the government and they eventually resulted in the government's fall and the formation of a transitional administration, meanwhile the CJP movement, on the other hand, began as an online satire campaign before expanding into public protests. It is not an officially recognised political party and has not called for a change of government, instead, it focuses on raising issues affecting young Indians through a mix of humour, online activism and peaceful demonstrations.
Another difference is that Nepal's protests centred heavily on corruption, nepotism and restrictions on social media, while CJP places greater emphasis on unemployment, examination stress, inflation and political accountability.
The Nepal protests showed how organised street demonstrations can bring major political change, the CJP movement shows how internet culture, memes and satire can mobilise thousands of young people before a movement reaches public spaces. While their methods are different, both movements reflect a growing trend in which young people are using both digital platforms and peaceful protests to demand better governance, more opportunities and greater accountability.