Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has issued a strong caution against the tendency to 'glamorize' street protests and uncritically adopt Western demographic labels for India's youth, such as Gen Z. Sibal emphasized that while issues like youth unemployment are legitimate, they should not be leveraged by internal or external actors to destabilize the country.
Warning Against Exploitation of Youth Issues
Speaking on the matter, Sibal highlighted his concerns regarding the potential for genuine societal problems to be manipulated. He pointed out that historical instances of street mobilization in neighboring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh have not yielded positive outcomes. According to Sibal, various forces are keen to capitalize on youth grievances, transforming them into anti-government movements under the guise of seeking solutions.
His remarks came in response to a social media post by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who had shared an article discussing youth protests and the role of Gen Z. The article, written by a Pakistani activist, drew parallels between youth concerns in India and Pakistan, citing issues like exam leaks, unemployment, poverty, and poor living standards across borders.
Rejecting Western Labels for Indian Demographics
Beyond the immediate issue of protests, Sibal also criticized the pervasive use of terms like Gen Z, Gen X, and Millennials within the Indian context. He argued that these are Western social characterizations that India has adopted 'slavishly' to appear globally connected.
Sibal contended that such uncritical adoption allows foreign influences, often alien to India's diverse population, to negatively shape the perspectives of young Indians. While acknowledging that democratic nations are open to various influences, he urged India's elite to be more discerning. He stressed the importance of being 'rooted in our own sociology' rather than applying broad, Western-derived labels that might inaccurately portray the complex thinking of an entire age group within India.