New Delhi: A senior BJP leader said on Tuesday that he was working to reset the narrative that the party was indifferent to the concerns of the youth in the wake of the examination irregularities controversy, adding that a large portion of the so-called Generation Z could not be described as “anti-establishment”.
“The entire Generation Z is not devastated… Their concerns cannot be compared to what happened in Bangladesh or Nepal. The youth in India are responsible and aware; we need to use their energy constructively,” said the senior party leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
These comments come against the backdrop of dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the national eligibility test for admission this year, and irregularities in the evaluation of the Central Council’s examination papers for the twelfth grade. A controversial comment by India’s chief justice also sparked an Instagram trend followed by millions, but the outfit it gave rise to received only a lukewarm response at a protest in Delhi last week.
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The BJP, which completed 12 years in power at the Center with its allies and has significantly expanded its presence across the country, wants to change the perception that the ruling regime has not addressed the concerns of the youth, which led to the recent protests, the above-mentioned leader said. The party will also strengthen its outreach to the youth, who have been identified as one of the four “major castes” along with women, farmers and the poor by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Generation Z does not just mean those who are protesting against the government, they are also those who are diligently involved in nation building and development. Youth who are capable of building startups and using AI for development can also lead protests to reverse wrongs. In Jammu and Kashmir, there were youth pelting stones and today they are winning the Ranji Trophy… So, it would be unfair to lump them together and see Generation Z as protesters and anti-establishment,” the aforementioned senior party leader added.
The leader said the concerns of young people “demand attention” and that the government was making amends.
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The official said steps are being taken to mitigate anger against the government and prevent it from spreading through universities as happened in 2016, when the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad sparked unrest.
The BJP leader said the youth built momentum for Tamil Nadu actor-turned-politician Vetri Kazhagam, who ousted Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam from power in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Given the effects of anger among the youth on its electoral chances, the BJP does not want to alienate the youth ahead of next year’s state elections.
Citing the example of Nepal, where Generation Z is credited with bringing about a political revolution that led to a change in government, the official quoted above said that the leader of the ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, who was in the capital recently, also stressed the need to “tap into the energy of youth in a constructive way.”
“He said that Generation Z is our biggest strength and can be our biggest weakness,” the leader said. “Therefore, we must learn to use their energy constructively, just like in physics, where strength and speed lead to strength.”
