Overview
- On Thursday, August 6, Mohan Bhagwat told more than 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha students at IIMUN’s Mumbai conference that protesting does not make young people 'anti-national' and that their grievances should be heard through dialogue.
- Bhagwat said he would 'trust Gen Z blindly,' framed protest as a legitimate democratic tool for 'system correction,' and said agitation should aim to build consensus rather than create social divisions.
- He called for reforms in education, argued against treating schooling as a commercial activity and reiterated support for the long-standing demand to allocate six percent of GDP to education.
- Asked about reports of police using lathicharge, tear gas and pellet guns during recent student demonstrations, Bhagwat said he lacked complete or 'authentic' information and urged a careful examination of the facts before judgment.
- Beyond the protests, Bhagwat spoke on broader social issues including a legal framework for same-sex companionship and sustaining people-to-people ties with neighbours, a set of remarks that amplifies a broader youth outreach effort by influential national figures.