Laughing at power: how Gen Z is rewriting the language of political dissent
A generation dismissed as apolitical or disengaged is finding its voice—not through manifestos but through memes, satire and the grammar of the internet. As the Cockroach Janta Party's (CJP) protests over India's NEET examination crisis spilled from Delhi's Jantar Mantar to Parliament and now across most other states, the loudest slogans were often delivered with irony: placards mocking institutional failures, viral reels lampooning power and jokes that travelled faster than speeches. Behind the humour, however, lay a deeper story of distrust and a generation negotiating politics on its own terms. The question is no longer whether Gen Z is interested in politics, but why laughter has become its most potent language of dissent.
‘Nobody funds me. I hate this government for free.’ A few feet away, another placard declared, ‘My pad is more leakproof than the NTA.’ Nearby, a group of students filmed Instagram reels, lip-syncing to Bollywood dialogues before dissolving into chants demanding accountability for examination failures. Memes escaped phone screens and appeared on cardboard signs. At Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where the Cockroach Janata Party's (CJP) agitation over paper leaks and educational reforms has evolved ...
