Gen Z Questions Shaped RSS Chief's Mumbai Summit Dialogue, Says IIMUN President

Questions addressed to RSS Chief originated directly from Gen Z, says IIMUN President Rishabh Shah

Mumbai, August 7

Speaking to ANI, Rishabh Shah elaborated on the scope of the dialogue, noting that the RSS leader touched upon critical matters, including the long-standing advocacy for dedicating six per cent of the national budget to education.

He said, "... Today, Mohan ji spoke about various things, such as the need for education to receive six per cent [of the national budget], and I hope that education does indeed get that six per cent."

Pointing to the diverse range of topics the RSS chief addressed on stage, spanning educational investments to LGBTQ+ rights, Shah stated that because these topics were sourced directly from the younger generation, the ensuing deliberations carry high expectations for real-world impact.

"He also discussed the subject of LGBTQ rights, among other topics; the hope is that these discussions will lead to actual, tangible results... These questions originated from that generation (Gen Z), so we sourced the topics directly from them. We then formulated the questions and presented them... Whenever I didn't get an answer, I asked the same question twice," Rishabh Shah said.

He further emphasised that the aspirations of Gen Z for a progressive nation transcend political ideologies.

"Not everyone in Gen Z is against the government or any specific political party, they want to see India become a developed nation. I don't think political ideology matters as much as their aspirations do. Those aspirations will only be understood through conversation and dialogue... I would like to convey to the government that they should keep engaging in such dialogues. This way, they can actually reach Gen Z, understand their problems, and devise solutions. I hope that both the government and the opposition work together on this," Shah added.

Reacting to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's statements regarding the Jantar Mantar demonstrations, Shah expressed relief that the youth were defended against anti-national tags and said, "I was very pleased that he stated there were no 'anti-nationals' among the protesters, they were all Gen Z, and that he stood in support of them. It was heartening to hear, especially given the importance of the issue at hand... More dialogue of this kind leads to fewer disputes..."

On the other hand, outgoing Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi says,

"Very honest and to the point. He did not mince words. Whatever questions were asked to Sangh Sanchalak ji, he answered them with all honesty and absolute clarity," Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday backed the long-standing demand for allocating six per cent of the national budget to education, calling it "appropriate" and saying it should be implemented, while stressing that education should not be treated as a commercial activity.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said, "This demand is appropriate, we feel, and it should be implemented."

"Only doing that won't suffice because no one has ever said that the government should run the entire education system. So, we can all run it together," he said.

The RSS chief stressed that society should also take responsibility for improving educational infrastructure instead of depending solely on the government.

"There are many places where villagers and workers came together to improve the local school... The whole society should pay attention to the financial burden of education because this education isn't just something given by the government; it's the education of our children," he said.

Speaking before an audience of students alongside IIMUN Founder Rishabh Shah, Bhagwat emphasised that true leadership centres on selflessness, character-building, and collective empowerment rather than personal ambition.

During the interaction, the RSS chief anchored his definition of leadership in a traditional Sanskrit verse. "Patre tyagi, gune ragi, bhagi parijanaih saha, shastre boddha, rane yoddha," he said.

Shifting focus to domestic policy during the question-and-answer session, Bhagwat addressed the ongoing discourse surrounding reservation in education and employment. Citing Dr BR Ambedkar, he stated that the policy must persist as long as systemic social discrimination remains.

"I will go to what Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar thought about reservation. If we honestly follow his advice, then there is no problem. Reservation exists due to social reasons. As long as there is social discrimination, reservation will continue," he said.

However, he emphasised that reservation was originally conceived as a tool for social unity rather than a perpetual crutch or a subject for divisive political contestation.

He said reservation was introduced to promote social unity and should not become a subject of political contestation.

"Politics should not be done over this. If all measures are properly implemented, soon its need would end. It will then be thought about. But politics was done over it, which creates bad blood. Actually, the measure was brought for social unity. The measure in itself is not wrong, but those who wield the sword are doing it in the wrong way intentionally. Unless that is cured, I don't see anything," he added.

Bhagwat and IIMUN Founder Rishabh Shah concluded their interaction and question-answer session with a 'Clock it' gesture.

— ANI