If you are looking at the impact of the hunger strike by Ladakh’s engineer-turned-activist Sonam Wangchuk at the protests organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) only through the lens of electoral consequences and conventional impact, that could be a mistake.

As Wangchuk’s fast hits its 21st day, I have heard many negative appraisals from political commentators — including from critics of the Narendra-Modi-led government — on how the protesters are naive, unstructured, and political rookies. Analogies have been drawn with the Anna Hazare fast and the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement that birthed the Aam Aadmi Party. It has been pointed out that the UPA-II government was a weak one, mired in scandals when that protest and hunger strike happened, and that the power differential between those years and the Modi government will ensure that Wangchuk and his team of “cockroaches” are never called for a dialogue by the Centre.

It has also been argued that the on-ground footfall is proof of the giant gap between a heart emoji planted below an Instagram reel and an actual political supporter. And then, of course, there is the issue of the CJP being dubbed “AAP-Lite”. And the main Opposition party, the Congress, staying mostly away from the protests, preferring their own student outreach has also been talked about. (Party spokesperson Pawan Khera did meet Wangchuk, but what the absence of Rahul Gandhi at the protest site........

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