They say that it's a movement born of a meme. True. But before the meme comes the word 'cockroach' - which randomly popped out of CJI Surya Kant's mouth, flew into the hot Indian summer, and established its own autonomous kingdom. Kant could easily have said 'mosquito', 'frog', 'rat', 'housefly' or 'bed bug'. But cockroach it was and it stuck. It's a movement born of a word, and underlines how powerful a single word can be.
The spontaneity of its origin, the very arbitrariness of the moment when 'cockroach' escaped the CJI's lips, is what gives CJP (Cockroach Janta Party) its authenticity. The word was amplified and touched a raw nerve, which is the nub here. Dissent can be accidental. Which is not to say it's not real. Far from it. It can also be as infectious as nationalism.
