Update: India’s Gen Z Moment?

Is the recent wave of youth-led protests the beginning of the end of the Modi era? All university students and staff are welcome to this panel talk at Scene HumSam, where we take stock of the prolonged Gen Z-led protests and ask what they mean for the future of Indian democracy. Bring your own lunch!

bilde av politi og demonstranter med flagg

A CFI demonstration in 2011. Wikimedia Commons.

Over the past weeks, thousands of Indian youths have taken to the streets across the country, criticising the far-right Hindu-nationalist government for its alleged manipulation of elections and demanding democratic accountability. Under the banner of the “Cockroach movement”, they have taken the Modi government to task for undermining India’s democratic institutions and ethos. The government’s response has, in turn, been unusually repressive, with thousands of protestors – including opposition leaders – being detained and prevented from exercising democratic dissent. 

In this discussion, we take stock of the prolonged Gen Z-led protests and ask what they mean for the future of Indian democracy.

On the panel are:

  • Jorinde van der Horst, Scuola Normale Superiore, Italy
  • Moumita Sen, MF Norwegian School of Theology, Religion and Society
  • Vyoma Dhar Sharma, University of Oslo
  • Moderator: Kenneth Bo Nielsen, University of Oslo

All are welcome!

The event is organized by the Centre for South Asian Democracy and supported by UiO:Democracy.

For a more indepth discussion, join us for the Nov 2 event at Domus Bibliotheca.

Published Oct. 16, 2026 1:59 PM - Last modified Oct. 23, 2026 10:15 AM