Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Tharoor Questions Whether Parties Failed to Hear Gen Z
A famous Indian politician named Shashi Tharoor spoke at a big student event in Mumbai.
He talked about a big question: do grown-up political parties really listen to young people?
Recently, a student group called the Cockroach Janta Party held protests in Delhi that many young people seemed to like.
The Congress party, led by Rahul Gandhi, also made a campaign for students called 'Chhatron Ki Goonj', but it did not work as well.
Mr. Tharoor said young people care about problems in education, climate change, and the country's democracy.
He thinks older political parties may have failed to listen to young voters.
He said parties should let young people help make important decisions, not just do small jobs at rallies.
Mr. Tharoor warned that parties could become unimportant if they do not change.
He ended by telling everyone to 'wake up and smell the coffee'.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor acknowledged that Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign failed to resonate with students.
Tharoor noted that Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar drew a stronger response from young people.
He questioned whether established political parties had failed to listen to and understand the aspirations of Gen Z.
Tharoor said the challenge extended across opposition parties, which failed to provide routes into politics for young people.
He warned parties risked becoming irrelevant unless they look beyond hierarchies and create genuine opportunities for youth participation.
- Who
- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, speaking about Rahul Gandhi's Congress campaign and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) student protesters.
- What
- Tharoor acknowledged that 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' failed to resonate with students and questioned whether established parties failed to listen to Gen Z.
- When
- Saturday, at the 15th anniversary celebrations of the International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN).
- Where
- Mumbai, with reference to CJP-led protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.
- Why
- Because CJP-led protests at Jantar Mantar resonated with students more than Congress's campaign, prompting introspection about youth engagement.
Reform youth engagement
Traditional party structures
Gen Z campaign resonance
Reform youth engagement
Tharoor: parties must introspect because campaigns like 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' failed and their finger was 'missing from the pulse of Gen Z'.
Traditional party structures
CJP-led Jantar Mantar protests drew the youth response that party campaigns could not, showing young people's energy flows to protest movements rather than established parties.
Youth role in politics
Reform youth engagement
Tharoor argues parties must create genuine pathways so young people can shape policy and influence decision-making.
Traditional party structures
Current party practice expects young members to remain behind senior leaders and do 'foot soldier work' within hierarchies, entrenched establishments and dynastic considerations.
- Speaker
- Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP
- Event
- 15th anniversary celebrations of IIMUN in Mumbai
- Campaign discussed
- Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj'
- Referenced protest
- Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests at Jantar Mantar, Delhi
- Issues raised by youth
- Education, climate change, weaknesses in Indian democracy
- Tharoor's warning
- Parties risk becoming irrelevant if they fail to adapt to younger voters
- Key demand
- Real pathways for young people to enter politics and shape policy