From education-corruption to my gender-my wish, has CJP gone astray, those slogans and people are raising questions on the agenda.

Cockroach Janata Party had started a campaign against the cockroach remarks of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and the NEET exam paper leak. That is, it started with the fight for improving the education system, examination transparency and saving the future of the youth. CJP raised questions on the crowd gathered at Jantar Mantar, the demand for resignation of the Education Minister and the examination system. This was the identity of the CJP movement. But within a few days the picture changed. Now the discussion is more on posters like “My gender, my wish”, “My gender, my wish” and “My clothes, my wish” than on examination reforms.

The question is not whether these slogans are right or wrong. The question is whether the agenda of the movement has changed or are the headlines of the movement swallowing its core issues? On the stage where the examination system was once in the dock, the debate is now on identity, freedom and individual rights. In such a situation it is natural to ask. Is CJP getting closer to his destination or are new twists and turns taking him astray?

“My gender, my will, my gender, my will.”

In fact, the beginning of CJP and its public identity has been mainly related to the demand for education system, examination transparency, NEET controversy, youth unemployment and accountability. Even in the recent Jantar Mantar protests, the central demand was the resignation of the Union Education Minister and improvement in the education system.

But meanwhile, posters like “My gender, my wish”, “My gender, my wish” and “My clothes, my wish” came into discussion on social media. From here arose the question which is perhaps the biggest political challenge facing the CJP today. Is the movement expanding in scope, or is its focus changing?

What does CJP’s declared agenda say?

Key demands that appear on the CJP’s public manifestos and websites include electoral accountability, women’s representation, media freedom, education reforms, anti-corruption and institutional accountability. Issues like “Better Education”, “Accountability”, “NEET Paper Leak”, “Accountability of the Education Minister” are prominently recorded. That is, the basic identity of the movement was formed by education, corruption and governance reforms.

What is being discussed now?

If we look at the media reporting of Jantar Mantar movement, NEET, examination system and resignation of the Education Minister were in the center in the initial news. But after the viral posters the focus of the debate changed. Now, more than education reforms, people are discussing whether CJP is also adopting the issues of gender identity, personal freedom and social rights or not. This is where the issue of “the stage has grown” comes into play.

Is this expansion or deviation?

This is the most interesting question. If the CJP officially declares that it will agitate on issues of personal freedom, gender rights and social justice along with education reforms, it will be called “expansion”. But if the organization’s official agenda is still education reform and public discourse has shifted to other issues, critics will call it a “diversion from the core issue.” Education, corruption, accountability and governance reforms are clearly visible in the public documents currently available, but there is no clear evidence of slogans like “My Gender, My Will” being part of the CJP’s official manifesto.

What was the biggest capital of the movement?

The strength of CJP was that it gave a simple and clear message – the youth are angry, the trust in the examination system has been broken, and accountability is needed. This was the reason why the movement got support both online and offline. The history of political movements shows that when the message is very clear, it is easier to garner support. But when many issues start joining together, then the interpretations of both supporters and opponents increase.

real question

The question is not whether slogans like “My body, my will” are right or wrong. The question is whether these slogans are part of the core agenda of CJP? If yes, then the leadership will have to publicly explain which new phase the movement has now entered. If not, then it will also have to be explained why these slogans are becoming the identity of the movement amidst the fight for education reforms.

The crisis facing CJP is not of the crowd, but of the message. The movement started with education reform and accountability. The facts also show that a large part of the recent discussion is now revolving around slogans and posters whose direct connection with its core agenda is not clear. Therefore, the biggest question today is not how big CJP has become. The biggest question is, is CJP the same movement that started in the name of education reforms, or is it now moving towards becoming a broader social platform?