CJP’s online movement faces its first real-world test

New Delhi: After staying awake through the night, 41-year-old Tripura-based content creator Madhavi Biswas stood outside Gate No. 6 of Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke. Leaving behind her Class XII-bound child in her native state, she said she had travelled to Delhi “to secure his future”.Biswas was among the many who waited under the morning sun for the man whose online movement, triggered by a remark by the CJI, had suddenly found itself at the centre of a national conversation. As the crowd swelled, Delhi Police personnel repeatedly moved people behind the barricades.At 9.15am, Dipke finally emerged. Accompanied by CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka, he was greeted with chants of “CJP ki Jai” as dozens pulled out their phones to record the moment.Interestingly, in a video message posted on Friday, Dipke had urged supporters not to crowd the airport as it could “cause inconvenience to the public and the security forces”. Yet, for those who had followed the movement since its inception, being present at the airport to witness his return to India felt like a natural extension of their participation.Among them was 48-year-old Mussoorie hotel owner Daulat Kunwar, who had flown to Delhi solely to welcome the Boston returnee and show support for the outfit’s campaign for institutional reforms, especially in the light of recurring paper leaks. Describing himself as the quintessential “cockroach” referenced by the movement — lazy, glued to social media and comfortably detached from public life — Kunwar said the campaign had pushed him out of that complacency. “It’s the cockroaches like me who have woken up and left the comforts of our room. Now the whole country will rise up with us,” he said.His son, Kunwar added, was among thousands of students already waiting at Jantar Mantar to attend the gathering featuring speakers like Sonam Wangchuk and Saurav Das.For younger supporters, the airport turnout represented something else: a chance to challenge assumptions about their generation, that they only exist as Instagram followers, not visible on the ground.Arya Shri, an 18-year-old law aspirant from Safdarjung Enclave, stood behind cops with a book and a flower, which was among CJP’s ‘guidelines’ for the protest. “I know our generation is known for reels and not real-life action. But I’m here to prove otherwise and make sure students own this movement from the very beginning,” she said.For many, CJP marked the first public mobilisation they had participated in for years. Standing outside the terminal since 6am was former Indian Navy Commander Rishi Raj Singh, 48. He acknowledged that Wangchuk’s support was a major reason for his presence, but said the movement had also prompted a degree of self-reflection. “I voted for the first time last year. As a citizen, I should have been more responsible. Maybe to compensate for that, I’m here to join this movement,” he said.Some, however, remained sceptical. Sudhanshu Rishi, a 23-year-old hospitality professional, said it was curiosity that had brought him to the airport after finishing his night shift. Watching the crowd gather around Ranka, phone in hand, he remained unconvinced about where the movement was headed.“I’m not going to comment on the future of this ‘party’ until I see for real where they take this movement amidst such political frenzy,” he said. “I hope they don’t mingle their priorities with political agenda, but only time will tell.”As Dipke’s convoy departed amid chants, cameras and a surge of supporters, the crowd outside T3 seemed tied by a common question -- whether this movement born on the internet would be able to sustain itself on the streets, or slowly fade.