EEKS! IT IS A COCKROACH...

IYER MUSINGS

Young people are a disgruntled lot. Anything and everything bothers them. We know because we were young once. In Gujarat, the Nav Nirman movement happened in 1974 and we almost thought we lost a year then, but did not. It lasted for 73 days and 108 persons died. And the CM had to step down. Even then it was about corruption.

Corruption within the system is worrisome and if it is connected to leaking question papers for a national entrance exam, it hits home hard. So when an influencer from social media jumped into the fray, it was not hard for the young people to feel acknowledged and then the rest is mismatched news, depending on the algorithm of the social media you are hooked on to.

But what I am against is the leader of the group latching on to the ugliest and can't-ever-die, creepy crawly called the cockroach. They have actually formed a party called the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). And there is much talk about this party.

Even then when it was coined I knew I would never even think of the party, leave alone support them. Even as you scroll and suddenly this insect emerges out of your mobile. And bingo! Hatred, dread, a sense of ickiness.

My dread for cockroaches is legend. Levitation comes naturally to me when I spot this ugly insect. Sometimes it flies. In fact when I used to travel on tours, my male colleagues have always been kind enough to check room, toilet and under the bed for said ugly creature.

I know this name came out of a knee-jerk reaction, but does anybody even think that if this should go down in history, just for the unique name, the logo will put off half the female population. If not all.

But if Abhijeet Dipke joins a political party, he will not be allowed to keep the name, neither can he post the picture of the insect on his t-shirt. And that would at least be the end of CJP. Hopefully.

A good 'nara-shouting and jhanda-ghadaoing' is good for democracy and yours truly has participated in a march or two, several moons away. Severe excitement, heated raising of voices, several cups of tea and a gentle return to home to some hard stares from parents and some excited gossip the next day.

But since this is not about me, let us talk of those who appeared for their NEET exams. The whole Jantar Mantar protest is about the leakage of national level entrance tests, a postponement of the test, a re-test and results, which were out on July 16. (I could be wrong). Done and dusted.

As per Google out of nearly 20 lakh candidates who appeared for the NEET UG exam, 11,21,185 students qualified and became eligible to participate in the medical counselling process. Which does not guarantee a medical seat. Since the total available MBBS seats are roughly 1.36 lakh across India. Only. Each and every year.

I dread the day these students will graduate and work at some hospital, where I might just totter around for a checkup by them. And they might casually ask if I supported this youth protest and I will have to be honest.

There was also Sonam Wangchuk, fasting for so many days and along with the students demanded that the education minister must be removed. Meanwhile we all know that cockroaches will outlast us. So, never say die.

– Lalita Iyer 

 Senior Journalist