CJP's 'Sarpanch Challenge' aims to revive village schools, urges citizen audits

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), founded by Abhijeet Dipke, has announced a nationwide campaign to improve government schools in rural areas. The initiative, set to launch on August 15, will focus on addressing what the party termed the “neglect of rural educational infrastructure.”

In a video message, Dipke said he would begin the campaign from his native village Hingoli in Maharashtra by approaching the local village head with a request to upgrade the government school there. He urged sarpanches across the country to take up similar efforts in their respective villages.

“The coming 15th August is our 80th Independence Day. But, if anything has been neglected or ignored the most in the last 80 years, it is the government schools in our villages,” Dipke said. He questioned why new Parliament and Prime Minister’s residence were built while village schools remained neglected, adding, “Do we not consider the children of farmers and labourers the future of our country?”

Dipke highlighted that village children often walk long distances to attend school and frequently lack basic facilities such as drinking water and toilets. He noted that girls face particular hardships due to inadequate sanitation facilities.

As part of the campaign, the CJP has issued an appeal to sarpanches to improve government schools in their areas. The organisation has named this the “Sarpanch Challenge,” under which village heads who successfully improve their schools will be publicly recognised. The CJP said it would share before-and-after photographs on its social media platforms, giving credit to the sarpanches concerned.

“We will give you credit so that after seeing you, after seeing the schools that you have improved, many other village heads also start improving schools in their villages,” Dipke said.

The CJP also announced a citizen-led social audit of government schools. Parents of children studying in these schools have been asked to visit the institutions and check for electricity, clean drinking water, functional washrooms, and the availability of mid-day meals. Dipke urged parents to record videos if facilities are found lacking.

The party said it would soon issue a printable audit form through which citizens can record which facilities are available and which are missing. The form will be shared via links on the CJP’s official social media platforms. Completed forms and video evidence can be emailed to contact@cockroachjantaparty.org.

The campaign aims to ensure that children of farmers and wage labourers studying in village schools have access to facilities comparable to those in urban schools. “Your children's schooling should be good. That is your fundamental right,” Dipke said.

He concluded with a message to village children: “Let us all make a promise to the children who live in villages that we will improve their schools. Together, we can do this.”

The CJP began as an online satirical platform and later gained popularity before entering the political arena.