Jantar Mantar may be a template for the future The Statesman 11 Aug 2026
https://epaper.thestatesman.com/4186152/Delhi-The-Statesman/11-08-2026#page/7/2
Jantar Mantar may be a template for the future The Statesman 11 Aug 2026
Punjab and West Bengal police busted multiple cross-border terrorist modules which were planning to target the Cockroach Janata Party protests in Delhi last month. These were linked to Pakistan’s Jaish-e-Mohamad and their ISI. Their plans included infiltrating the protests, causing mayhem by using petrol bombs as also random firing, resulting in casualties, leading to anger across the nation, with the government being blamed. They failed because of large police presence. Was Pakistan seeking to just exploit the protests or was it part of a larger conspiracy by those sponsoring the protests is unknown.
The fact that inputs flowed from the Punjab Police, a state controlled by AAP, has relevance. The sidestepping of the Punjab IG, who broke the news, gives it further credence. Had these inputs flowed from West Bengal, it would have been termed as government propaganda. Senior Delhi Police officials had warned organizers of the protest that criminal elements had infiltrated the crowd and that the massive gathering risked spinning out of control, but it was ignored. This is just what happened. Casualties in Delhi could have enhanced violence across the country, making it difficult to contain.
Were the organizers aware that violence was planned as part of the protests is unknown. It is possibly because of being aware that none of the organizers participated in the protests. They were either resting in airconditioned comfort well away, enjoying burgers or safely in a vehicle, instigating protestors.
The infusion of anti-social elements was also highlighted by the Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, who informed the Supreme Court that while the government would withdraw cases against student protestors, it would not do so for 2,738 persons facing charges such as ‘murder, rape, kidnapping and offences under the POCSO Act,’ who had deliberately infiltrated the protests to cause mayhem. These individuals were identified through surveillance networks.
There is no doubt that the protest was funded by inimical groups. To maintain the site, ensure unlimited food for all participants while inviting anti-government activists to the dais by sponsoring their airfare and stay, funds are essential. The NIA is investigating the same.
India has faced a series of organized and funded protests aimed at breaking the nation’s cohesion. Most have commenced with ‘perceived wrongs’, subsequently migrating to other subjects. Recent ones include the Shaheen Bagh protests and subsequently the farmers. Each was handled with kids gloves by the government. Manipur, once again pushed by foreign interests, has yet to be resolved and continues to remain tense.
Inimical elements had expected the last election to be a debacle for the BJP, but it never happened. The government’s decision to end the students protest by partially agreeing to their demands was aimed at bringing a movement, which could grow akin to earlier protests, to a conclusion.
The government has stalled current protests but more will follow as 2029 elections draw close. The farmers have already announced fresh protests commencing 26th Nov at over 100 locations across the country, including Delhi. This will likely continue till the winter session of parliament or elections early next year, targeting Punjab and UP.
Their demands include repealing all free-trade agreements, including those already inked, loan waivers, compensation for farmer suicides etc, many being beyond acceptance. They have sought support from multiple groups including students. Evidently, the intention is to damage internal cohesion of the nation and its global standing.
Protests are rarely simultaneous, largely planned. The group including financers, strategists, social media influencers, media creation experts and others, work in tandem to create content, based on perceived injustices, to garner support. Main organizers remain below the radar or outside the country. They monitor protests, pull in political leaders opposing the government and keep pushing content to keep the issue alive. While India is secure from external aggression, it is highly vulnerable to internal unrest and that is being exploited.
India’s growth, importance on the global stage, refusing to toe western lines in ongoing conflicts are issues which are unacceptable to many western organizations. Open Society Foundation headed by George Soros and his son has been working to change the current regime with a more pliable one. They, alongside others, have attempted every trick to damage India’s internal fibre and its economy. Instigating protests, publishing fake reports like fake Hindenburg, backing internal dissent, sending foreign military personnel to the North East to train and arm militant groups, are some methodologies. Many have been contained.
The west does not want to see an India which would be a competitor in the decades ahead, as confirmed by the US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, in the Raisina dialogue in Delhi this year. He mentioned that the US will not repeat ‘the China mistake,’ which is permitting India to grow capable to compete with the US in the future. China also does not desire a strong India in the region. This global sentiment adds to confidence of groups seeking regime change in Delhi.
While earlier agitations exploited religious and regional groups, the current cockroach protests targeted youth, which forms the bulk of the nation. Lessons drawn from, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh where change occurred due to student led agitations, was attempted in the last round of protests. Simultaneously, sympathy protests across the country, each organized, is an indicator of the depth to which it was planned. Casualties in Delhi, based on what was planned, could have resulted in violent protests similar to those in neighbouring countries.
The students who participated in recent protests would all be voters in future elections and hence their views against the current regime are being altered. Opposition political parties are working overtime to become representatives of the youth. The aim is to push for a change in 2029.
The Cockroach Party will continue attempting to keep their presence alive by social media, the ideal communication channel for the youth. They will keep expanding their base steadily and register as a political party only prior to elections in 2029. They will also protest in sympathy with the farmers in Nov this year.
Desperation by international anti-India groups to change the national leadership will gain ground as 2029 elections draw close. The methodology will remain breaking India’s internal fibre. Social media will be the preferred network. The government must concentrate on social media campaigns and monitoring. It must also strictly control foreign funding to anti-India institutions and organizations.