The world knows that the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which began as online satire, transformed from website to on-ground protest. And that is not the only transformation. Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the CJP, transformed into a youth icon with a message. The Gen Z, self-described as “lazy, unemployed, chronically online, possessing an ability to rant professionally” transformed into fearless critics of a regime that had effectively created a climate of acquiescence and silence.Silence transformed to questioning and dissent. Jantar Mantar, cleansed of generations of protestors and etherised as Central Vista, transformed back into a zone of protests and resistance.It’s only a month since a meme transformed to a protest and the protest to a student movement. A movement that travelled to seven cities, created a commitment that inducted scientist Sonam Wangchuk and over twenty students going on indefinite hunger fast. Social media as political and social communication is effective only when it is democratic and decentralised. The CJP core leadership now focus on the ground reality while its supporters have become autonomous influencers. Analytics show, they are reaching out to millions. No one can tell if this movement is transitional or temporary and if it will have long-term impact. But there can be no doubt that these transformations have levered open some cracks and let the light in.CJP has helped Muslims return to public protests after CAA crackdownThere have been other transformations and signifiers in the one month after CJPs first protest on June 6. Muslims, who had been coerced out of public spaces since the crackdown on protests linked with the Citizens (Amendment) Act (CAA), finally felt safe with a sense of belonging in CJP’s protest in Jantar Mantar and Dipke’s platform presence. The presence of Mohammad Junaid and Harpreet Singh, whose visuals in reels got millions of views, and who stayed at the site, serving food and water in the blistering heat to all who are camped here since June 20, aided the transformation of the site as a secular space.The dominant focus of the CJP movement is accountability and resignation of the Union education minister for the NEET Exam paper leaks that provoked the suicide of over 20 students. But several sub-texts on the ground and online have intersected with this main demand. The most prominent being social and communal harmony. The slogans in Jantar Mantar always started with nationalist ones – “Bharat Mata Ke Jai”, then changing to education minister resign, to “Zindabad”, “Jai Bheem” and then on to “Hindu-Muslim Sikh Isai- apas mai hai bhai bhai (Hindu Muslim Sikh and Christians are all brothers).” This has been the pattern, refrain and organic secularism visible to anyone who trolled or watched them.Jantar Mantar as a safe space has been sensed by young women who camped here for days and nights. The presence of women from the All India Students Association (AISA) like Neha Bora, Anjali from Delhi University, Danish from JNU and others like Neha Bharthi, women from the Student Federation of India (SFI), have become inspirational for young women across the country who saw them as fearless, day after day expressing their views, singing, going into hunger strike, and speaking evocatively on so many issues, starting with the education minister’s resignation, to the rejection of the politics of hate, to the choice of gender, rights of women, LGBTQ and Dalits and oppressed. Intellectuals and political leaders have spoken to the surging crowds every day.Questions have been raised about the CJP core group’s strategy. The first question is why has the government allowed the CJP to protest at Jantar Mantar when all others were denied this privilege the past few years? Is it because they are no threat? The guess work answers include cracking down on a youth Gen Z protest could backfire and become politically damaging. So, it’s better to wear them out – protest fatigue along with police harassment like switching off lights, turning off water in the public washrooms, police flag marches, surveillance and so on.A student movement demanding accountabilityThe second guess is Dipke’s identity as an educated Maharashtrian Dalit with overt loyalty to Ambedkar and the Indian Constitution. Harming him could antagonise a constituency the party in power wants to nurture. Third guess is the huge social media following of the CJP and of Dipke that crossed 22 million, with millions following the very creative content, songs, memes, reels, and the pain and fun visible at Jantar Mantar.The fourth guess is the coverage this youth movement has got in the international media, and the fear that India’s much advertised ‘largest democracy’ and its roving prime minister’s image could be damaged.The second question raised is: Who is funding? This movement is seriously crowd funded. Judging the numbers and enthusiasm of people who come everyday, this is a loaded question. In fact, Dipke has countered: “Where is the money to buy MPs and MLAs who cross political parties coming from?” Why the media does not ask them questions. This has been linked to a serious critique of the “Godi media” from the crowds here. But clearly a sub-culture of Youtubers is here tracking the movement and the Godi media is not missed.The third simple-minded question is what is the intent? What is the goal? Who are the backers? Is it a B team of some political party? CJP has repeatedly answered these for all sceptics and cynics. This is a student movement. Its goal is accountability and reform of the education system, beginning with the education minister’s resignation.Dipke and his core team members like Ashutosh Ranka, Saurav Das, Vijeta Dahiya, and many others profess loyalty to the Indian Constitution – the preamble of commitment to democracy, secularism, social justice. They wave the flag, their slogans are Zindabad and Jai Bheem. Dipke and team have struck a chord and sensed the feelings of anger and creative dissent of a generation others overlooked.An avenue to express the pain and fear of Gen ZThe main question however is – what is the impact of this nascent Movement? I would argue that they have already to some extent broken through the fear of speaking out, of raising critical questions, of using humor and satire – a powerful and relatable weapon. Giving voice and identity to the Gen Z whom no political formation owned and treated as worthy of their own and also addressing and bringing back the discourse on Hindu-Muslim harmony as existential in our nation’s life.CJP became an avenue to express the pain and fear of Gen Z, of the many parents who came here and cried for their children who committed suicide. I watched Abhijeet and Ashutosh, Neha Bora cry with them. Of critiquing a failing education system, of looming unemployment.The CJP at Jantar Mantar resembles a big tent of dissent and a festival of protest. It is difficult to hack and shut down the thousands who post and understand the use of social media communications, almost like a social media guerrilla movement. One protest generates hundreds of stories and reels every day. Close one site and another opens. Most of all, this movement cut across gender, class, caste, social group, religious group, ideology, and instead brought together the student body as a collective. And this collective has been given voice by CJP. Otherwise, as Ashutosh Ranka told me in one of our long conversations, without this plurality and diversity “it is not possible for our movement to grow like this in one month – across many cities.”Anuradha Chenoy retired as professor and former dean, School of International Studies, JNU, Delhi.