Archive · 11 Aug 2026
Mohan Bhagwat's Gen Z outreach affirms protesters not anti-national
The leader of a big organisation in India called the RSS met with lots of young people in Mumbai.
He told them that people who protest are not bad for India.
He said protesters have real problems and are looking for fair answers.
He also said that protest is a normal part of talking things out in a democracy.
When someone asked who he would trust the most, he said he would trust young people.
A professor named Amitabh Mattoo wrote about this meeting.
He remembered a time when students at his university were called bad names for speaking out.
He thinks everyone should keep listening to each other even when they disagree.
He also says young people should question what they see on apps like Instagram and what leaders tell them.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met nearly 2,000 members of Generation Z and Alpha in Mumbai last week.
Bhagwat said protesting Indians are not anti-national and have legitimate grievances seeking logical answers.
Asked whom he would trust without question, Bhagwat said he would trust Gen Z.
Columnist Amitabh Mattoo links the remarks to past accusations that JNU students were 'anti-national' and part of the 'tukde-tukde gang'.
Mattoo argues institutions must earn respect and that young people should question algorithms while distinguishing opponents from enemies.
- Who
- Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), addressed nearly 2,000 members of Generation Z and Alpha; columnist Amitabh Mattoo, professor at JNU, wrote the commentary.
- What
- Bhagwat declared that protesting Indians are not anti-national and said he would trust Gen Z without question.
- When
- Last week, at a meeting in Mumbai.
- Where
- Mumbai, India; the commentary also references Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
- Why
- To signal that protest is a legitimate form of democratic dialogue and to address the grievances of young Indians.
Protest-friendly view
Skeptical view of protesters
Are protesters anti-national?
Protest-friendly view
Protesting Indians are not anti-national; protest is a form of democratic dialogue and consensus-building.
Skeptical view of protesters
JNU students were branded 'anti-national' and part of the 'tukde-tukde gang' by studios, social media handles, and public figures.
Handling harmful online content
Protest-friendly view
The demand should be disclosure of how platforms rank and push content, not takedowns or outright bans.
Skeptical view of protesters
Some favour outright bans on harmful content, though the article argues bans drive behaviour underground.
Institutional authority
Protest-friendly view
Institutions earn respect only by proving they are worthy of it over time.
Skeptical view of protesters
Some assume institutions deserve respect simply because they demand it.
- Key figure
- Mohan Bhagwat, sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
- Audience
- Nearly 2,000 members of Generation Z and Alpha
- Location
- Mumbai, India
- Central statement
- Protesting Indians are not anti-national; protest is a form of democratic dialogue
- On trust
- Bhagwat said he would trust Gen Z without question
- India's median age
- 28 years
- Author
- Amitabh Mattoo, Dean and Professor, School of International Studies, JNU