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國際時事跟讀 Ep. L245: A Judge Said 'Cockroach.' India's Youth Answered.
Highlights 主題摘要
- Police fired tear gas, metro stations were shut and one messaging app was ordered taken down, yet protesters returned in growing numbers.
印度青年「蟑螂」抗爭的精神象徵、絕食 26 天的社運人士 Sonam Wangchuk 宣布結束禁食，但這場運動並未因此降溫。現年 59 歲的他自 6 月底起僅靠鹽水維生。Wangchuk 表示，是在數十位國會議員出面勸說、並歷經漫長協商後才決定停止，同時坦言並非所有訴求都獲得回應。示威者週五重申會繼續走上街頭，抗爭也從新德里延燒到孟買、海德拉巴等主要城市。
The unrest was triggered by alleged leaks in some of India's most competitive entrance examinations for medical colleges and government jobs, but it has long since outgrown that single grievance. The Cockroach Janta Party, whose name parodies Modi's ruling party, began in May as an online satire campaign after Chief Justice Surya Kant likened unemployed young people to cockroaches. The remark landed badly in a country where millions of young people are entering a labour market that has struggled to create enough secure, well-paid jobs.
這場風波的導火線，是印度競爭最激烈的醫學院與公職考試接連傳出洩題，但抗爭訴求早已不只如此。首席大法官 Surya Kant 把失業青年比喻成蟑螂，5 月間催生出「蟑螂人民黨」，名稱刻意戲謔模仿莫迪領導的執政黨，而起初只是網路上的諷刺行動。這番話之所以踩到痛點，在於印度數以百萬計的年輕人正湧入職場，穩定又待遇合理的工作機會卻始終不足。
Protesters are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an overhaul of the examination system, and compensation for the families of students who died by suicide after the leaks. On Monday, police fired tear gas and swung batons at marchers heading toward Parliament; Delhi police said nearly 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters. Modi broke his silence on Thursday night with a video posted to Instagram, acknowledging that paper leaks were no trivial matter and announcing fast-track courts to handle leak cases.
抗議群眾要求教育部長 Dharmendra Pradhan 下台、全面檢討考試制度，並對洩題後輕生學生的家屬提供賠償。週一遊行隊伍走向國會時，警方以催淚瓦斯和警棍驅離，德里警方統計約 180 人受傷，其中維安人員 118 人、抗議者 60 人。莫迪則在週四晚間打破沉默，透過 Instagram 發布影片，承認洩題絕非小事，並宣布設立快速審理法庭處理相關案件。
That response has not satisfied the streets. Authorities shut 18 metro stations in a capital of 23 million residents, and protesters reported internet shutdowns around Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century observatory that has hosted historic demonstrations. Organisers coordinated over the encrypted app Signal, while others relied on Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based tool whose founder, Jack Dorsey, said Indian officials had ordered taken down. Crowds turned out anyway, mounting a challenge sterner than any Modi has faced in his 12 years in power.
莫迪的回應並未讓街頭降溫。當局在這座人口 2,300 萬的首都關閉 18 座地鐵站；抗議者也指出，Jantar Mantar 周邊出現網路中斷，這座 18 世紀天文台向來是印度重要的抗議場域。組織者改用加密通訊軟體 Signal 聯絡，也有人轉向以藍牙傳訊的 Bitchat，該程式創辦人 Jack Dorsey 表示，印度官方已下令將其下架。群眾依舊到場，讓莫迪面臨執政 12 年來最嚴峻的挑戰。
Keyword Drills 關鍵字
- Mount a challenge [verb phrase, to organise and launch an effort against someone]: The small party mounted a serious challenge to the mayor.
Reference article:
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/india-cockroach-protests-modi-exam-leaks-new-dehli-cjp-hunger-strike-rcna589017
https://globalnews.ca/news/11987477/india-gen-z-cockroach-movement-modi/
https://www.npr.org/2026/07/24/nx-s1-5906236/india-wangchuk-hunger-strike-cockroach-protesters
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/21/indias-cockroach-protest-movement-halts-marches-after-police-violence
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sonam-wangchuck-india-hunger-strike-cockroach-janta-party-protest-education/