A misspeak by the Chief Justice of India, perhaps unintended, has resulted in the sudden emergence of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), first digitally and now on the ground. It has caught the imagination of youth, especially those facing malpractices in education, those unemployed, or simply struggling to survive on low-paid jobs.
Punjab should be particularly concerned as its youth unemployment rate stands at 19%, according to the Periodic Labour Survey for October-December 2025. This worryingly exceeds the all-India average of 14.8%. Comparatively, Haryana’s unemployment rate has declined to 12.4%.
Why that is so is a question that Punjabis may ask. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who spends a lot of time mocking his Akali and Congress opponents, may not answer. He boasts about the 66,000 or so jobs his government has provided, without talking about the vacancies caused by retiring staff in the same period.
Jobs happen when growth takes place. And Punjab’s growth rate at 6.1% also trails the national average of 7.4%. While the RBI last week scaled down India’s GDP growth to 6.6%, Punjab may take a serious hit with agriculture and industry affected by a shortage of fertilisers and costlier transport fuel. Higher inflation will escalate social anxieties.
The overall scenario for youngsters is getting bleaker. While the falling rupee against the dollar is pushing foreign travel and education beyond middle class reach, their favourite destinations like Canada and the US are shutting doors to migrants. Regardless of the brain drain cost, Punjab could have witnessed a serious social upheaval had these countries not provided welcome escape routes to ambitious young Punjabis.
The impact of the worsening economic climate and shrinking foreign avenues is not hard to imagine. But is Punjab prepared to face the emerging grim reality? Losing hope about their future, youth turn to narcotics or take up the gun. The problems of drug abuse and gangsterism point to the deeper rot in society and the system. Government agencies only fight the symptoms. Problems cannot be solved by the same politicians offering the same solutions.
Saturday’s daylong CJP dharna at Jantar Mantar revealed distrust in the political class. Such democratic movements sometimes throw up new leaders with new ideas. The CJP’s popularity may compel the existing political parties to replace worn-out leaders with bright new faces. Issues of youth so far figure neither in the present electoral plans of the opposition parties in Punjab nor of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
Instead of relying mostly on quick-fix solutions, Bhagwant Mann must look elsewhere. Splurging on freebies, he runs a tight ship, disregarding hidden icebergs on the way ahead. Money thrown at voters can be better spent on revitalising flagging industries, stagnating agriculture and inefficient services.
If limited resources are wisely utilised on development, political dividends may take time but will definitely follow. Only meaningful and quality work can generate wealth and boost tax collections, which can help the state extend a helping hand to the really needy. Taking loans for welfare is against common sense. Besides, free-for-all benefits incentivise laziness. Well-off Punjabis are increasingly losing their self-pride by becoming state-dependent. Congress MP Dharamvira Gandhi emphasised this point recently.
Political parties don’t seem to learn from the past. Despite providing liberal subsidies and using massive amounts of the taxpayers’ money on self-promotion, VIP security and helicopters, former CMs Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh both lost the elections. Politicians’ lifestyles amplify the common man’s helplessness and desperate situation.
The recent civic body elections show that the 2027 contest is essentially between the AAP and the Congress. The BJP can become a serious contender for power if it comes out with a believable economic model for Punjab. Instead of speaking on the subject he understands best — industry and its problems — the new BJP chief in Punjab, Kewal Dhillon, talks of politics and the Khalsa Raj of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, which shows a clear disconnect from reality.
Riven by infighting, the Congress will have to come up with a convincing argument why it should be handed over power when each one of its senior leaders is playing his own me-first game for the top chair. Rahul Gandhi, no doubt, is taking up cockroach issues but does the party have any clear plan for youngsters living their lives on social media? AI is putting jobs at risk. Has the party given a serious thought to the issue?
It is not enough to conduct surveys to find out which leader can fetch more votes. A root-and-branch review of the party functioning in Punjab is required. Tried, tested and failed leaders must give way to those with a vision, throbbing with energy, who can help Punjab regain lustre.
Being the ruling party, the AAP is at a higher pedestal. But it has lost part of the sheen. The AAP government is so publicity driven that every achievement it hawks needs to be taken with a heavy dose of salt. The success of its much advertised anti-drug campaign is hardly felt on the ground.
Creditably, it has built stadiums and is encouraging sports. But the most singular achievement of the Mann government is in the field of school education. The NITI Aayog has ranked Punjab number one in its latest School Education System report. This is a significant jump from the 27th place in 2020 and the credit for the success goes to the low-profile Education Minister, Harjot Singh Bains and AAP leader Manish Sisodia.
Challenges, however, remain in higher education. Successive Akali and Congress governments had starved government universities and colleges of funds to facilitate the rise of private institutions. The resultant steep rise in costs has driven higher education beyond the reach of lower-middle-class students.
Be it healthcare, education or employment, rural youth have often been at a disadvantage. Cost-of-living issues contribute to occasional spikes in rural youth and farmer discontent. However, dismissing the unemployed as parasites may invite a backlash which may at some point go out of control. This should alert governments, both at the national and state levels, to the dangers of not taking youth problems seriously. There is an urgency to act before the simmering anger boils over.
