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RSS chief Bhagwat to address Gen Z at Mumbai event, Aaditya Thackeray takes a ‘suddenly’ dig
The interaction will take place in Mumbai during an event commemorating the 15th anniversary of India's International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN).
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to interact with Gen Z students from over 100 cities across the country on Thursday (August 6), days after the student protests at Jantar Mantar. The youth-led demonstrations forced the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as the Union education minister.
The interaction between the youth and RSS chief Bhagwat, 75, will take place in Mumbai during an event commemorating the 15th anniversary of India's International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN), according to a press release.
Over 2,000 high school students are expected to be present during the inaugural ceremony of IIMUN's Annual Championship Conference, which will be held at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC). Gen Z and Gen Alpha are demographic groups, segregated according to their birth years — those born from 1997 to 2012 come under the Gen Z umbrella, those from 2013 to 2025 are considered to be Gen Alpha. Gen Z made up a major part of the recent student protests.
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Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray took a jibe at recent Gen Z interactions, questioning the legal action on the student protesters. He further asked why leaders had not “stepped in” during police action and complaints against them in the aftermath.
“Suddenly everyone who wants to interact with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and some who have taken it on themselves to preach “culture” to them via social media, the simple question to all of them is…Where were you when they were facing AK-47s, lathis with rusted nails, electric shock guns and electric barricades, tear gas and when women were manhandled in the name of “law and order?”” Thackeray asked.
He added, “Where were you when they were detained at home while leaving for peaceful protests, or when they were arrested? Why didn’t you step in then?”
Mohan Bhagwat to address participants between 15-19 years of age
According to the press release, the participants at the event are between 15 and 19 years of age. Bhagwat's address will mark the beginning of flagship Annual Championship Conference under IIMUN, one of the largest youth-led congregations. The inaugural ceremony will be centred around the theme "The Role of Youth in Uniting the World, the Indian Way."
Student participants, representing their schools and colleges, will debate and deliberate on local, national and international issues during the conference.
Rishabh Shah, the founder of IIMUN, thanked Bhagwat for accepting the invite, saying this dialogue was needed “more than ever before.”
“Leadership is not only about guiding the next generation, but also listening to it. At this critical juncture in India's journey, we need this dialogue more than ever before. I am grateful to Mohan Bhagwat ji for accepting our invite to address this gathering at this critical juncture,” the release cited Shah as saying.
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The IIMUN, founded by Rishabh Shah in 2011, organises 108 conferences and thousands of civic engagements and community interventions ever year, according to the press release. These are largely led entirely by youths aged 15-24 for students aged 11-19.
“IIMUN is a public affairs platform dedicated to uniting the world by spreading the idea of Bharat and sensitising tomorrow's leaders, today. Over the past 15 years, the organisation is run by 15-24 year olds, many of the participants and organisers have gone on to become elected representatives, civil servants, authors, lawyers, actors and business leaders,” the release stated. The organisation's advisory body constitutes personalities from several fields, including former chief justice of India Justice DY Chandrachud, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, businessman Ajay Piramal, industrialist Nadir Godrej, retired athlete and Rajya Sabha MP PT Usha, and others.
