Speaking about the recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, Bhagwat said the protesters should not be called “anti-national”.
The grievances of Gen Z are genuine, and protest is also a form of dialogue, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday in a mega outreach to younger people against the backdrop of student protests in Delhi last month.
Addressing around 2,000 students aged between 15 and 19 from across the country, Bhagwat also spoke on unemployment, reservation, equal rights for women and those of the LGBTQIA+ community, and India’s relations with neighbouring countries.
Speaking about the recent student protests at Jantar Mantar, Bhagwat said the protesters should not be called “anti-national”.
“Gen Z are our own children. If they protest for an issue, how can they become anti-national? Their concerns should be heard. In a democracy, protest is also a form of dialogue. There is nothing wrong in protesting, but it should not be used to create divisions in society,” he said, acknowledging that improvements were needed in India’s education policy for which discussions are necessary.
“I believe in Gen Z and Gen Alpha blindly because they are an honest generation,” he added.
Gen Z refers to people born between 1997 and 2012.
Bhagwat was speaking at an interaction with Rishabh Shah, founder of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) – a youth organisation — at the Annual Championship Conference held in Mumbai, to mark its 15th anniversary.
Before the session, the moderator gathered questions from the students to ask Bhagwat, whose responses drew loud cheers from the audience. Bhagwat underscored that the young should be heard and that dialogue was the best way to solve issues.
On the LGBTQIA+ community
He said those belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community should be accepted as a part of society and even proposed that companionship laws could be an alternative to same-sex marriage.
“Marriage is an institution that helps prepare the next generation to become responsible members of society, and any changes to this system should be made carefully,” he said.
He made the comment when he was specifically questioned about the legality of same-sex marriages. “In such cases, we need to consider companionship which society can accept; once that is achieved, there is no need to frame a law,” he added.
In 2023, the Supreme Court turned down petitions asking for same-sex marriages to be legalised.
On Education and Reservation
On the question of reservation, Bhagwat said quotas would be necessary as long as inequality existed in society. “While some communities have benefited from reservation and progressed, others still remain deprived and are now raising their voices for equal opportunities,” said Bhagwat. He suggested that people who had already benefitted through reservation could consider giving up a part of the benefits for more deprived sections. “Those who benefited already through reservation could consider giving up a part of their benefits for more deprived sections,” Bhagwat said.
Bhagwat said education should not become a business and every child should have access to quality education, and stressed on the need to review fee structures, improve teacher training and increase public participation in school development. Supporting a higher budget for education, Bhagwat backed the demand that 6% of the country’s total budget be spent on this sector. He expressed faith that this could be achieved through dialogue, without the need for protests.
‘Need to study facts’
When he was asked about allegations of lathi-charge and use of pellet guns on protesting students in Delhi, Bhagwat reserved comment, saying he did not have full information about the incident. “I do not know why the lathi-charge happened or whether pellet guns were used. I need to study the facts before giving an opinion,” he said.
While he did not see a problem with the use of social media, he insisted that “people develop self-discipline and use social media responsibly”.
While responding to a query on India’s relations with Pakistan and China, he said the youth should stand by the government’s decisions during times of conflict with neighbouring nations.