The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said members of Generation Z (Gen Z) should not be labelled anti-national merely because they participate in protests. Speaking at the Mumbai Conference titled ‘The Role of Youth in Uniting the World, the Indian Way’, he said young protesters are “our own people” and their concerns should be addressed through dialogue.

Bhagwat said that while protests are part of democracy, they should be carried out through democratic means. He also expressed confidence in the younger generation, describing Gen Z and Gen Alpha as more honest and receptive to the values of patriotism and public service.

Bhagwat calls dialogue essential in a democracy

Addressing the conference, Bhagwat said Gen Z should not be viewed as anti-national for raising concerns.

“If the Gen Z is agitating, they certainly aren’t anti-nationals; they are our own people, our next generation,” he said, adding that a sense of belonging and continuous dialogue are necessary to resolve differences.

He also said that while he would not discourage protests, democracy provides appropriate ways to express dissent.

Says protest is a legitimate form of dialogue

Bhagwat described protests as a democratic mechanism when regular communication fails to resolve issues.

He said that if discussions do not produce results, people naturally raise their voices to draw attention to unresolved concerns, calling protests another form of dialogue in a democratic society.

RSS chief compares Gen Z with earlier generations

Reflecting on generational differences, Bhagwat said today’s youth are more inclined to question authority than previous generations.

According to him, earlier generations generally accepted what elders said without questioning, whereas Gen Z and Gen Alpha seek logical explanations before accepting viewpoints.

He also remarked that he considers the younger generation more honest and said he would readily place his trust in Gen Z.

Remarks come after student protests in Delhi

Bhagwat’s comments come days after student protests in Delhi over alleged undergraduate medical entrance examination paper leaks. The demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, resulted in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

When asked whether earlier dialogue could have prevented the situation from escalating, Bhagwat said that if an undesirable situation develops, there must have been shortcomings somewhere that need to be identified and corrected.

On pellet gun allegations

Responding to a question about the reported use of pellet guns against protesting students, Bhagwat said he did not have complete information about the incident.

He said he would need to examine the facts before commenting on what happened or determining where responsibility lay.

The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Wednesday after six more people lost their lives over the past 24 hours, taking the death toll during this year’s monsoon season to 95.

According to the state’s Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), widespread flooding continues to affect rural and urban areas, with more than 1.6 lakh people impacted across 563 villages.

Of the six latest deaths, five were linked to the general flood situation. Two fatalities each were reported from Biswanath and Sivasagar districts, while one person died in Golaghat. Another person lost their life due to urban flooding in the Mayong revenue circle of Morigaon district. One person has also been reported missing in Udalguri district.

The Dhansiri (South) river at Numaligarh continues to flow above the danger level, prompting authorities to keep 14 districts on high alert. These districts are Golaghat, Lakhimpur, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Biswanath, Dhemaji, Kamrup (M), Jorhat, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Darrang, Karbi Anglong and Udalguri.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected areas, Sivasagar has recorded the highest number of affected residents, with more than 57,000 people impacted. Golaghat and Jorhat are the next worst-affected districts.

Floodwaters have also caused significant damage to infrastructure. According to DRIMS, seven major embankment breaches have been reported, including five in Biswanath at Brahmajan and two in Darrang’s Mangaldoi area. A steel bridge at Cholapothar in Charaideo and a footbridge in Tangla, Udalguri, have also sustained damage.

Agricultural losses have mounted as nearly 16,951 hectares of cropland remain submerged. The floods have also affected more than 35,000 livestock, while around 8,500 animals, mostly in Sivasagar district, have been washed away.

Urban flooding disrupts normal life

Urban flooding continues to affect Kamrup, Kamrup (M), Morigaon and Jorhat districts, impacting 734 people.

In Kamrup (M), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and District Disaster Response Force (DDRF) personnel used boats to evacuate 80 people from waterlogged localities, including Satgaon and Hatigaon. Partial waterlogging continues to disrupt daily life in Guwahati’s Juripar and Anil Nagar areas.

The state government has stepped up relief measures by operating 45 relief camps, where 12,356 people are currently taking shelter. Another 59 relief distribution centres are supplying essential items, including rice, dal, salt and cattle feed, to more than 32,000 people.

Authorities are continuing to monitor river levels as the meteorological department has forecast more rainfall in the catchment areas, raising concerns that the flood situation could worsen further.

Seventeen people were injured after an Air India flight travelling from Phuket to Delhi encountered severe turbulence, with Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu saying the disturbance lasted for nearly five minutes. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, while four cabin crew members continue to receive medical treatment.

The Airbus A320neo operating flight AI2379 was carrying 137 passengers and eight crew members when it experienced severe turbulence around an hour before landing in Delhi.

According to the minister, passengers recalled that the turbulence lasted between four and five minutes, during which those injured faced significant difficulty inside the aircraft.

Four crew members remain under medical care

The minister said some of the injured cabin crew sustained spinal injuries near the neck and tailbone. Doctors have advised continued medical observation for the affected crew members.

Air India confirmed that all 13 passengers admitted to hospital following the incident have now been discharged. However, four cabin crew members continue to receive treatment.

The airline said its teams remain at the hospitals to support the injured crew members and assist affected passengers and their families.

Medical teams responded immediately after landing

According to the Civil Aviation Minister, medical teams were deployed as soon as the aircraft landed in Delhi.

Passengers received first aid at the airport, while those requiring further medical attention were shifted to Medanta and Fortis hospitals.

The minister also praised the cabin crew, saying they continued assisting passengers for nearly an hour after sustaining injuries until the aircraft landed safely.

DGCA analysing cockpit voice and flight data recorders

The incident is being investigated by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

According to the minister, the aircraft has been moved to a separate hangar, while investigators are examining both the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) to determine what caused the severe turbulence.

He said the findings will be made public once the investigation is completed.