Indians in NL urge cabinet to speak out on “Cockroach” crackdown

Indians living in the Netherlands are protesting for political solidarity and media attention to the ongoing “Cockroach” protests sweeping India, which are being met with a brutal crackdown by state forces.

The protests erupted in the summer over suspected corruption in the education system and have since turned to focus on changes in the voting system. Young Indians say they are being denied their democratic rights – something protesters say particularly affects minority groups and women.

Indians are a significant part of the Netherlands’ international community, with the statistics office CBS counting about 54,500 Indian nationals in the country – roughly 3.2% of all foreign nationals.

The Progressive Indians Europe group, based in Amsterdam, gathered in The Hague recently to call for recognition of the injustices they say Narendra Modi’s government is inflicting on its people.

A spokesperson for the group told Dutch News that it was asking the Dutch government to publicly stand up for the democratic principles and human rights commitments it recognises in its own foreign policy.

“These developments directly affect people in the Netherlands,” they said. “Our families, friends and communities remain connected to India. What happens there has real consequences for the people we care about, while the precedent set by the erosion of electoral safeguards matters to democracies everywhere.”

The suppression of the Cockroach movement, the group says, which has seen thousands arrested, journalists detained, and reports of widespread police brutality, means people in the Netherlands should “examine the reporting, listen to affected communities and recognise the importance of independent investigations, transparency and accountability.”

The group stressed that it was not asking people to accept every allegation without scrutiny.

“We hope it encourages the Dutch public, media and policymakers to engage seriously with these developments and recognise that defending democracy is a shared international responsibility.”

A spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry told Dutch News: “The Netherlands follows the developments in India. As human rights and democracy are an important part of the Strategic Partnership between India and the Netherlands, the Netherlands and India discuss these topics regularly in diplomatic contacts and will continue to do so.”

Struck off
Some of the members said the situation abroad is significantly impacting their lives. Surabhi, from Amsterdam, said she takes her right to vote very seriously, both in India and in Dutch municipal elections.

“I am an Indian national and have always travelled back to India to vote,” she said. “Most recently, I voted in the national elections in 2024 and the municipality elections in Mumbai in January 2026.”

Her name, along with millions of others, has been removed during a revision of the electoral rolls by the Election Commission of India, which says it is improving the voting system by removing dead, duplicate and ineligible voters.

Another protester, Anubhav, described how he can only see the voting list on the Election Commission of India website by using a VPN. When he saw his name had been removed, he submitted a complaint, which was closed the very next day.

He says he is a “popular anti-BJP [the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party] guy on social media among my acquaintances. Is this just a coincidence? I don’t know.”

Cockroach movement
The Cockroach Janta Party, whose name plays on that of Modi’s BJP, started in May as an online satire account. It was a response to India’s chief justice, Surya Kant, describing some activists and unemployed young people as “cockroaches” and “parasites of society”. Kant later said his remarks had been misquoted and misrepresented.

In July, Modi’s education minister was forced to resign in the wake of street protests against leaked exam papers. Amnesty International found that police used pellet-firing shotguns, electric shock batons, tear gas and batons against demonstrators. Delhi police said more than 400 people, including officers, were injured.

The latest wave of protests that began on October 2 was a reaction to a nationwide revision of the voter rolls. According to reports, about 14% of the original names on the rolls – more than 133 million – have been removed since the process began last year. Protesters say eligible voters have been wrongly struck off in favour of the BJP.

The Indian electoral commission says voters removed in error can register again, and has said all its actions were lawful.

More than 2,000 protesters, including several opposition MPs, were detained in Delhi over the weekend of October 10 and 11. On October 13, Human Rights Watch said police had beaten protesters, dragged them through the streets, arbitrarily detained them and suspended mobile internet services.

Police have said protesters were uncooperative and that force was sometimes needed. The UN human rights office has called on the authorities to fully respect the right to peaceful assembly.

Dutch ties with India
Indians make up one of the largest groups of highly skilled migrants from outside the EU, according to statistics bureau CBS. Many work in IT, and more than 300 Indian companies now have a presence in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is India’s third largest export destination worldwide, the largest in Europe, and the fourth largest investor in India. According to the Indian embassy, merchandise trade stood at $27.8 billion in 2024-2025.

In May this year, Modi visited the Netherlands and, at a roundtable with Dutch business leaders, spoke of a “new golden era in India–Europe relations”, following the conclusion of free trade talks with the bloc. The agreement “between the world’s two largest democratic and responsible powers will become a strong foundation for shared prosperity”, he said.

Before Modi arrived, prime minister Rob Jetten told reporters there were concerns in the Netherlands and other EU countries about developments in India. “It is not only about press freedom, but also about the rights of minorities, who are under severe pressure,” he said, according to de Volkskrant, adding that the concerns were “regularly raised” with India.

India’s foreign ministry later dismissed the remarks as showing a “lack of understanding”.