Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, who spearheaded one of the most talked-about movement in India that led to the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan after a 37-day protest, has credited the Public Relations classes he took at Boston University in the US for helping shape the CJP campaign.
Event Context
Dipke said that while his time at the university was valuable, most of his lessons “didn’t come from the classroom,” but came from closely observing politics and engaging with people from different backgrounds.
“If I am being completely honest, most of the lessons that shaped me did not come from a classroom. They came from closely observing politics, engaging with people from different backgrounds, listening to their concerns, and seeing how decisions made by those in power affect the lives of ordinary citizens.”
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Lastly, he said” “The biggest lesson I learned is that communication is not simply about getting attention. It is about helping people understand an issue, encouraging them to care about it, and inspiring them to take action.”
Player Focus
Speaking to Boston University’s College of Communication, Dipke said the lessons he learned helped him design the CJP campaign in a professional manner. He added that the idea of creating a manifesto was inspired by what he learned at the university about the importance of having “definite” goals in a campaign.
“I remember how many of the classes in my master’s program in Public Relations always stressed the importance of having a clear vision and mission statement, and how a campaign must be timely and relevant for it to be effective,” he said.
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Dipke also shared that he chose the “cockroach” as the identity of the party after learning the importance of “visual consistency” in a campaign.
“I also learned that there must be visual consistency that aligns with the core idea of the campaign, which is why I decided to use the “cockroach” as the symbol of our movement.”
Crediting one of his professors, Dipke said he would not have been able to give interviews to prominent international media outlets without the “crisis simulation” assignments, which, he said, “pushed him out of his comfort zone and helped him become more confident.”
Match Outlook
On being asked about his “satirical” approach, which could also have been perceived as a joke, Dipke said satire was a “deliberate choice.” He added that, as someone trained in public relations and political communication, he understands that while serious messages are often ignored, satirical ones have a way of breaking through.
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“Satire was a very deliberate choice. As someone trained in public relations and political communication, I understand that people today are overwhelmed with information, outrage, and political messaging. Often, a serious message gets ignored, but satire has a way of breaking through the noise.”
Dipke noted that satire can fade as quickly as it gains traction. He said he was aware that it could be dismissed as mere humour if it was not rooted in “genuine concern.”
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Speaking about the role of artificial intelligence, Dipke said that while he relied “heavily” on AI because he did not have enough resources to design the campaign, it also has its limitations and only humans can understand what is politically relevant.
“My campaign relied heavily on AI because I did not have the resources or a professional team that could support me in designing a campaign within such a short period of time.”
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“I believe this makes AI even more important in activist communication, because activists usually do not have the kind of resources that large political parties or corporate houses possess. AI can help accomplish tasks that would normally require a team of dozens of people,” he added.
Dipke also said that AI cannot be fully relied upon for messaging in sensitive campaigns that focus on freedom of expression, accountability and transparency, as they require “lived” experiences.
“AI cannot be fully relied upon for messaging in a campaign as sensitive as this, one that focuses on freedom of expression, accountability, and transparency. For that, you need lived experiences and a deep understanding of society and the authorities you are questioning.”
