Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he will not divide Indian children into generational categories such as Gen Z or Gen Alpha [1].
The statement marks a pushback against global sociological labels in Indian political discourse. By framing these categories as foreign, Sarma is positioning his administration's approach to youth engagement as a culturally specific, unified effort rather than one based on Western demographic segments.
Sarma said the use of such generational labels are "global, Western concepts" [2]. He said that he intends to treat all Indian youth as his own sons and daughters rather than separating them into distinct groups [2].
"We will not divide our children into category," Sarma said [1].
Beyond the sociological critique, the Chief Minister used the topic to target the political opposition. He said that the Congress party has damaged itself by failing to speak in Parliament regarding youth and Gen Z issues [3].
According to Sarma, the Congress party lost an opportunity to address the concerns of the younger population [3]. This critique suggests that while Sarma rejects the labels themselves, he views the underlying issues facing the youth as a critical political battleground.
Sarma's comments come amid ongoing efforts to engage the youth in Assam and across India. He said that the focus should remain on the collective needs of the younger generation rather than adopting external frameworks to define them [2].
“"We will not divide our children into category"”
Sarma's rejection of generational labeling reflects a broader trend of emphasizing national identity over globalized sociological trends. By dismissing 'Gen Z' and 'Gen Alpha' as Western imports, he attempts to decouple Indian youth identity from Western cultural influence while simultaneously using the failures of the opposition to claim a more authentic connection to the country's younger citizens.
