Published Jul 23, 2026 | 1:14 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 23, 2026 | 2:07 PM
The Gen Z humour is targeting the Teflon-coated image of the ruling dispensation.
Synopsis: Gen Z is angry, hilarious, sarcastic and unapologetically offensive. The content they create — whether as reels on social media or posters on ground zero — is a slap in the face of an ecosystem that has done everything in its capacity to make excuses for a broken system, brand dissent as anti-national and justify violent crackdowns on democratic rights.
As if Superman, Batman, Spiderman or Iron Man weren’t enough, a dinosaur found its way to the students’ protest at Jantar Mantar, a day after police assaulted protestors brutally.
There was also a cockroach lying on the ground giving interviews. A Gandhi found himself walking among young protestors.
From cosplay to content creation, India’s Gen Z has left the country in more awe than shock with their ‘give no chill’ approach to protests — both on the ground and online.
They are angry, hilarious, sarcastic and unapologetically offensive. The content they create — whether as reels on social media or posters on ground zero — is a slap in the face of an ecosystem that has done everything in its capacity to make excuses for a broken system, brand dissent as anti-national and justify violent crackdowns on democratic rights.
Also Read: Support pours in for agitating students
Power of Gen Z
India’s Gen Z, branded as “unserious”, is now owning the tag to deploy a Gandhian tool — civil disobedience. The youth of India’s civil disobedience movement is demanding the one thing most mainstream media has failed to do for years now — accountability from the Narendra Modi government.
Armed with selfie sticks to film their protest, recording themselves running away from a charging police only to upload that video with a ‘subway surfer’ theme, coming up with ‘GRWM Protest edition’ reels, showing off their bruises like battle scares only to go back to the protest site the next day, hyping each other up, cracking jokes, mimicking Modi, writing songs mocking Modi-Shah-Pradhan, finding the funny amid the chaos — social media is filled with Gen Z content making a statement.
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Also Read: When young India found its voice at Jantar Mantar
Their laughter and resistance are defiant in their humour. Their “content worthy” antics are drawing more and more support and a whole lot of hate for being “unserious”. But the young and restless are putting their energy into asking questions, even if mockingly.
Those in government and TV channel anchors may want to throw different people under the bus for different issues. Still, India’s Gen Z protesters have shown where the buck stops: with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
For decades, even before his stint as Prime Minister, Modi, with his team of PR managers, had focused on one thing: an ‘indented’ public image. Years have been poured into crafting narratives about him being “Teflon-coated” to create the perception that “nothing sticks to Modi”.
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Political narratives, with the aid of mainstream media, repeatedly reinforced the hype around Brand Modi. “Insults to Modi will draw public ire”, “Modi is beyond reproach”, “Modi is beyond criticism”, “Modi is beyond questioning” and so on went the list of Dos & Don’ts around India’s only prime minister who has never taken questions in a news conference or faced an unscripted interview.
India’s Gen Z has smashed these narratives overnight. Narendra Modi is now being questioned, criticised, even mocked, and the youth of India aren’t pulling punches.
“Detain me daddy”, “Chai ke Daam pe Desh Ko Bech Diya”, “I am a student, hence I was hit; If I were a rapist, I would be welcomed into the party”, “This diaper leaks less than you”, “So bad even the privileged are here”, “Govt’s cardio running from accountability”, “Now listen to our Mann Ki Baat”, “Saheb, even my cat treats me less of a slave them you do”, “the boot you licked, stomped your kids”, “Baddies aren’t apolitical” are just some of the slogans on the posters at student protests across the country.
Several others have photos of Modi, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Amit Shah in makeup, with satirical movie names.
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What about the outfit—the immediate fallout of the country’s senior-most judge’s casual remark—leading the agitation? The name, Cockroach Janata Party, itself is a parody of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party!
The young protestors are the polar opposite of obedient supporters of the ruling dispensation — as one poster pointed out, “Nobody funds me. I hate this corrupt government for free!”
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Posters, slogans, and digital content from young protesters are overwhelmingly centred on mocking and questioning Modi. The prime minister’s speeches are being blared on loudspeakers as a tool to shame his government. His older tweets are being printed on T-shirts to highlight the hypocrisy.
Modi’s dependence on teleprompters is being mocked on reels. The medals and honours Modi is receiving from countries he visits are becoming meme material. The hype around brand Modi is being torn down, one poster, one reel, one slogan at a time, and the children of India are leading the way.
And recall this scene: Youngsters giving a standing ovation to a police contingent marching back after beating up the protesters. The only heads held high with pride belonged to those who, a few minutes ago, were at the receiving end of the batons. They were the only ones who were laughing.
Could it get any better/worse, depending on the side of the fence you are on? These disobedient children!
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
