Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday acknowledged that Rahul Gandhi's 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign failed to resonate with students in the way the recent Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)-led protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar did, prompting him to question whether established political parties had failed to understand the aspirations of Gen Z.
Speaking at the 15th anniversary celebrations of the International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai, Tharoor said several issues raised through Rahul Gandhi and the Congress campaign later became central to the CJP-led protests.
'Did We Fail To Listen?'
Agreeing that 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' had not generated the same response among students, Tharoor said political parties needed to introspect.
"Correct. And that's why we need to ask ourselves, what did we fail to do? Did we fail to listen? Did we fail to tap into the old cliché of having our finger on the pulse of the people? Was our finger missing from the pulse of Gen Z?" Tharoor said.
He said merely identifying issues affecting young people was not enough if political parties failed to communicate them in a way that resonated with the younger generation.
'Problem In Education, Climate Change, Democracy'
Tharoor pointed to several issues that have been highlighted by young people, including concerns over education, climate change and weaknesses in India's democratic system.
"Yes, there is a problem in education. Yes, there's a problem with climate change. Yes, there are glaring loopholes in Indian democracy. But this somehow is not resonating," he said.
According to Tharoor, the challenge was not limited to Congress but extended across established opposition parties.
'We Didn't Provide A Route Into Our Parties'
Tharoor argued that mainstream political parties had failed to create meaningful pathways for young people to enter politics and influence decision-making.
"All the opposition parties, we didn't provide a route into our parties for the kinds of people who were in Jantar Mantar last month," he said.
He questioned whether young people joining established political organisations were being given opportunities to shape policy or were instead expected to remain behind senior leaders, attend rallies and perform "foot soldier work".
Warning To Established Parties
Tharoor also warned that political parties risked becoming irrelevant if they failed to adapt to the changing expectations of younger voters.
He said established organisations needed to look beyond "hierarchies, entrenched establishments, dynastic considerations and political networks" and create genuine opportunities for young people to participate in politics.
"Let not our epitaph be that we were bypassed or became irrelevant because we failed to listen," Tharoor said, urging political parties to "wake up and smell the coffee".
