Congress MP Shashi Tharoor will attend the later two days of an event in Mumbai where, on the first day, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to interact with Gen Z students from over 100 cities on Thursday (August 6).
This Gen-Z outreach by the RSS, parent body of the ruling BJP, comes days after the student protests at Jantar Mantar forced PM Narendra Modi's government onto the backfoot and the education minister had to be changed.
Tharoor, responding to a social media post asking why he was attending an event “organised by RSS”, clarified that the programme was a student-led initiative instead. Tharoor is a board member of the India's International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) that's organising the event, its press release said.
"I believe in freedom of expression and will chair their Board meeting and events on 7th & 8th. Mr Bhagwat will meet them on 6th when I am in Delhi for Parliament," Tharoor wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}"I believe in freedom of expression and will chair their Board meeting and events on 7th & 8th. Mr Bhagwat will meet them on 6th when I am in Delhi for Parliament," Tharoor wrote on X.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Tharoor expressed concern over the lathi charge on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters and questioned the use of force against non-violent protesters. He urged the government to allow discussions on “burning issues” in Parliament.
Event organised by Bhagwat
The interaction between the youth and RSS chief Bhagwat, 75, will take place in Mumbai during an event commemorating the 15th anniversary of IIMUN, according to the press release.
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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.
The gathering will include the organisation’s Advisory Board, which includes prominent personalities such as Ajay Piramal, Deepak Parekh, Nadir Godrej, Dr Shashi Tharoor, Justice DY Chandrachud, Karan Johar, former Chiefs of the Armed Forces and PT Usha, among others, as per the press release.
Aaditya Thackeray questions Gen Z interaction
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.
Dialogue with the youth is welcome, but it would be more meaningful if young or Gen Z voices led the conversation, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke said ahead of an interaction between Mohan Bhagwat and students in Mumbai.
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.