MUMBAI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that young people protesting over the alleged NEET paper leak should not be branded “anti-national”, asserting that their grievances are genuine and deserve to be addressed through dialogue.
Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said members of Gen Z were part of the country’s next generation and should be approached with a sense of belonging.
“If Gen Z is protesting, they are not anti-national. They are our own people. They are our next generation,” he said, stressing the need for dialogue and recognition of the relationship between society and its youth.
Bhagwat said the concerns raised by the protesters were legitimate and reflected wider shortcomings in the country’s education system.
“Whatever has happened, the grievance is genuine. There is a lot that needs to be done in Indian education. Since it is not happening, it is being talked about,” he said.
Describing protest as a legitimate form of democratic dialogue, the RSS chief said people were compelled to raise their voices when their concerns remained unresolved through ordinary channels.
“Protest is also a form of dialogue. If somebody is facing difficulty and the person capable of resolving it fails to act, then the affected person will shout,” he said.
Bhagwat also contrasted the present generation with earlier ones, saying young people today were more inclined to question authority and seek logical explanations.
“When we were of the age of Gen Z, we generally accepted what elders said. We did not question them. Gen Z and Gen Alpha ask questions and want logical answers,” he said.
He described the younger generation as more honest than the existing one and said appeals based on patriotism and public service resonated strongly with them.
Responding to a question on whether timely dialogue could have prevented the agitation from escalating, Bhagwat acknowledged that deficiencies must have existed in the system.
“When something that should not happen takes place, there must be a mistake somewhere. There has been a deficiency, and it should be corrected,” he said.
He said democracy required debate and consideration of different viewpoints, adding that young people had the right to protest while following democratic methods.
“I will not say that Gen Z should not protest, but there are democratic methods regarding how and what should be done,” Bhagwat said, referring to the principles laid down by the Constitution’s framers and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
The RSS chief said the youth were raising their voices because they were facing genuine issues that needed correction.
“An agitation should not be against an individual. It should be for correction of the system,” he said.
Asked about reports of lathi charges and the use of pellet guns against protesters, Bhagwat declined to offer a definitive opinion, saying he did not possess complete information about the circumstances.
“We will have to examine why and what happened. I do not have the information required to comment on it,” he said.
