OMM Newsroom
An online game in which players must evade police checkpoints and risk arrest while heading to a protest in New Delhi has gone viral. Young Indians are using the game to turn political grievances into satire and find new ways to challenge the authorities.
The game is part of a wave of digital satire inspired by youth-led protests in India over jobs, leaked exam papers and changes to voter lists, AnewZ reports.
Protest and political satire in games
One of the most popular games, “Jantar Mantar Chalo,” was created by 27-year-old IT professional Suraj Kushwah. He describes it as an example of “dark humor.”
The game depicts obstacles faced by protesters trying to reach Jantar Mantar, one of New Delhi’s main protest sites: police barricades, road closures and suspended public transport.
Players can form a procession of demonstrators and evade police checkpoints on their way to the protest site. Alternatively, they can take the role of police and disperse protesters with batons and tear gas.
Kushwah said he came up with the idea after following reports of protesters being detained while trying to reach Jantar Mantar. Since the game launched on October 14, at least 2,000 people have played it simultaneously, he said.
In another game, left-wing activist Neha Bora is the main character in an 8-bit platform adventure inspired by classic arcade games. Co-creator Anav Nayar said he and his brother Akshay saw satire as a powerful way to draw attention to political issues.
The games reflect a shift in how young Indians express their grievances: political messages are reaching the digital generation through memes, humor and easily shared online content.
Dispute over voter lists
The games’ growing popularity coincides with protests over the Election Commission of India’s controversial voter-list revision process. Opposition parties and activists say the process has disenfranchised 130 million eligible voters and favored Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Election Commission and the BJP have rejected the claims.
Public discontent has also been fueled by a youth movement called “Cockroach.” It began as an online joke before developing into a broader protest campaign.
The spread of political satire among young people presents a new challenge for Modi and the BJP. Modi, known for his active participation in digital campaigns, began posting self-recorded videos on Instagram to connect with young voters in July, after the education minister resigned — a move partly influenced by the “Cockroach” movement.
Political analyst Rashid Kidwai said young Indians are increasingly challenging the BJP’s influence over political narratives, both online and on the streets. India’s Generation Z is turning digital entertainment into a platform for protest, from games that let players evade virtual police checkpoints to arcade-style games mocking political leaders.
