An Indian standup comedian, Anuvab Pal, reflects on how gen Z protesters in Delhi transformed a serious political scandal into a viral wave of satire, memes and comedy rather than the traditional grim style of Indian street protest. The protests began after a medical exam paper was leaked and education minister Dharmendra Pradhan was accused of failings, prompting educator Sonam Wangchuk to go on hunger strike; a satirical collective called the Cockroach Janata party rallied support and students flooded Delhi's Jantar Mantar area, where police responded with force. Instead of conventional sloganeering, the protesters used humour to confront both the government and the media that supports it, a shift the writer, who has performed standup in India for 16 years, found genuinely surprising.

The article, written from the comedian's personal perspective, highlights examples such as a viral video of students at a train station chanting "the prime minister is a thief," and a signed cartoon showing Prime Minister Narendra Modi being kissed by two billionaires. It also references memes depicting Modi and Donald Trump, and imagery involving noughts and crosses drawn on the PM's forehead, illustrating how young protesters used doctored videos, AI-generated content and viral art to spread their message across Indian social media, in contrast to India's long-standing, more sombre protest traditions.