India, July 27 -- The cockroach, a nocturnal insect belonging to the order Blattodea, has inhabited the Earth for nearly 300 million years. Its remarkable resilience and adaptability have enabled it to survive dramatic environmental changes that wiped out countless other species. Although generally regarded as an unwelcome household pest-appearing mostly in kitchens and bathrooms under the cover of darkness-it has unexpectedly emerged as a powerful political metaphor in contemporary India.

In recent months, the humble cockroach has gained extraordinary public attention following a remark by Justice Surya Kant during judicial proceedings, in which certain individuals were compared to "cockroaches" while criticising the misuse of the judi...