Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said the grievances of Gen Z are genuine and protests are a legitimate democratic dialogue.
This stance is significant because it counters the frequent branding of student demonstrators as anti-national, signaling a shift in how the influential right-wing organization views youth dissent.
Speaking in Mumbai, Bhagwat addressed the nature of current youth activism. He said that young Indians are honest, patriotic, and should not be branded anti-national [2]. The RSS leader said that those expressing their frustrations through public demonstrations are not enemies of the state.
"If Gen Z is protesting, they're not anti-national. They're our own people," Bhagwat said [3].
Bhagwat further described the act of protesting as a fundamental component of a democratic society. He said that protest is a way of dialogue in a democracy [2]. This perspective suggests that the organization views the unrest among Gen Z and Gen Alpha as an honest reflection of their concerns rather than a foreign or subversive influence.
Reports of these statements surfaced in mid-July 2026, with one account detailing his interactions with a Muslim delegation on July 15, 2026 [1]. By endorsing the legitimacy of these grievances, Bhagwat said he sought to encourage a sense of belonging among the nation's youth.
Throughout the discourse, Bhagwat highlighted the honesty of the newer generations. He said that Gen Z and Gen Alpha exhibit a level of transparency that distinguishes them from previous generations [2]. This validation of youth sentiment aims to bridge the gap between traditionalist structures and the evolving political consciousness of young Indians.
“"Protest is a way of dialogue in a democracy."”
By decoupling the act of protest from the label of 'anti-nationalism,' Mohan Bhagwat is attempting to maintain the RSS's relevance with a younger, more critical demographic. This positioning suggests a strategic move to incorporate youth dissent into a broader nationalistic framework rather than alienating a generation that is increasingly vocal about social and political grievances.
