Gen Z Protests: 'I Hope They Keep Questioning The Government'

'I thought this generation was no good, will not be able to do much with all this social media etc. But then, they surprised us.'

Saturday morning's announcement said it was a gathering to sing the national anthem at Bandra Fort's amphitheatre at 4 pm.

So, braving the mad weekend traffic in Mumbai suburbs' toniest part of town we left well in advance, anticipating traffic woes and police road blocks.

On reaching we found barely 20 people gathered at the venue, families mostly, some holding the Tricolour provided by the organiser, -- Congress party.

It's said a week is a long time in politics; sometimes, even a few hours can see tectonic change.

And, on Saturday, between the time that the invitation for the gathering went out till the late afternoon, politics had shifted course.

Incredibly, it seemed, the education minister had resigned, and the event cannot anymore be only about singing the Jana Gana Mana and dispersing.

Barely 10 minutes before the event started, we were told that the venue had been moved, to the Bandra Bandstand promenade. "Past Mannat (if you didn't know this address you need a crash course on Bandra), near Rekha-ji's house," one of those in-charge said. "Near the fighter plane kept there, but please don't get into it."

The Sun was out by then, making the half km trek to the new even more arduous than it was.

This place had a couple of hundreds gathered -- and if you think that wasn't much you need a second-level crash course on Bandra -- much more than I thought would gather for a Saturday late afternoon event in the open.

But then, it was a Congress event, so mobilisation was not an issue.

The Tricolour was being handed out as if it was the Attari border, with plenty of groups raising their own slogans, and it was not about singing the national anthem but turned into a celebration of the government's capitulation before student power.

The Congress, keen to occupy this anti-government space, was already claiming credit for the victory, even if it had sweet little to do with the actual protests, lending its heft only this past week when the government used brute force to quell a Gen Z movement.

So there were plenty of political slogans.

From the familiar 'awaaz do hum ek hain' to the evergreen 'Inquilab Zindabad' and 'Vande Mataram' to outright political ones like 'Jab Jab Modi darta hai police ko aage karta hai (or 'Hindu-Muslim karta hai)'. Interrupted by some 'Azaadi' slogans as well.

Local leadership was there in the form of Mumbai Congress boss Varsha Gaekwad, with a host of mini leaders surrounding her. Mumbai's status symbol, private security guards behaving as if their employers were potentates, was not far behind either.

The crowd reflected the area's mix. This was the toniest part of a tony suburb, where even the air feels rarefied, so the swish set was there. As were crowds from zopadpattis. Plus some B-town faces. All lending their voices in unison to the naaras being raised.

It was as cosmopolitan as it could get, even egalitarian.

"The fight is not over," Gaekwad said in her brief address to the crowds, "It is the victory of the students, but the fight will continue," before launching into lengthy sound bytes with TV camera crews.

A two-minute silence was called to respect those who had died, and the Jana Gana Mana was sung solemnly.

As if on cue the clouds opened up, but it did not dampen the crowd's enthusiasm.

The sloganeering continued well after, in different parts of the open space, with selfie-seekers and digital creators scuttling around.

Naeem Khan from Kurla, a north-central suburb, and clad in a pro-Palestine T-shirt, was there with his child.

"I have come for her, for the sake of her future," he said. "I am concerned for it. How can I not be as a parent?"

That was the sentiment that echoed among many of the older set.

'We Are All Worried About Our Future'

A group of students from Bharat Nagar in Bandra East, who were waving the Tricolour and joining in the sloganeering with gusto, were all too willing to be photographed and spoken to.

"We are here because the issue concerns us," one of them said. "We are all worried about our future, we are students so we will be. Yeh system hi kharab hai"

About Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation as education minister, "it is not enough."

"What we need is an overhaul of the education system, and for this the agitation must go on, the government must heed our voices."

One of the most vocal participants was this millennial who was seen shouting herself hoarse from higher ground. One of the participants guided me to her, saying that she has taken part in every protest sparked off by the Cockroach Janta Party.

Refusing to be identified except as "Millennial Baddie," she was most eloquent.

"People are coming together now and that's what is creating this kind of energy. This is almost like a rebellious intervention for the government."

"There are many issues, like in Mizoram, Manipur, issues that women face every day like rape, now everyone wants to just shake the system."

"Let them know people are not keeping quiet," said the woman who also made it clear she was not linked to any political party.

About what provoked her into joining the protests, she said, "My Aha! moment was when I realised that if I had a child and I continue to live here I wouldn't want this to happen to my child, or to any child in the country."

"Sure, the minister has quit but I don't know if he is going to be moved to another ministry or what, but I feel that at least now there will be a little more seriousness from the authorities. I think no one's ever asked for accountability in this magnitude before.

"I feel that this is something that is going to change now, and it should."

"I am a millennial but it is the Gen Z, we thought they were just quiet children but they are not. We needed them, actually."

Actor Arif Zakaria, a Bandra denizen and whose recent outings include portraying Mohammed Ali Jinnah in the riveting Freedom At Midnight OTT series, was his usual witty self.

"I rather prefer to be in a pool with a cigar in my pool," joked the actor who was constantly pestered for selfies but who obliged in his charming self when asked what he was doing there. "But I am here to support the future generation, who have done a commendable job of bringing this issue to the forefront."

"The good thing is it has stopped Gen Z from doom scrolling, otherwise they would be sitting at home and keep doing it, at least now they have come out, that's good."

'This Is Only The Beginning'

Shireen Gandhy, the well known art gallerist who lives in the iconic Kekee Manzil a stone's throw away, was there with her children, daughter Atyaan Jungalwala and son Areesh Jungalwala, including a four-legged member of the family.

Atyaan, who was enthusiastically participating in the 'Azaadi' slogans being raised, said she was there "for democracy."

"For me it's the larger picture of democracy, and there's so much."

"Media, bigotry, there's no Parliament anymore, it has been curtailed," joined in Areesh, with the family saying in unison, "Environment is another issue."

"All in the name of development, my god, it's never been worse," chimed in Shireen. "We are in a s**t place right now."

"This is only the beginning."

Asked if there has been step forward now, with Pradhan's resignation, Atyaan said, "Not yet, but I am glad that our voices are finally being heard."

"We feel that now we are in a majority," adds Shireen.

The leftist Students Federation of India soon moved in with its drums and sloganeering, and each corner of the venue was echoing with its own sounds. The mood was one of celebration, and what better location can there be than by the balmy seafront.

All this was happening under the watchful but non-intrusive eyes of the Mumbai police, which was there in strength. The men in khaki smilingly obliged the selfie-seekers who thronged them; clearly there was no scope for Delhi-like excesses here.

'Congratulations To All The Youth Who Have Been Protesting'

Actor Sushant Singh, who along with his daughter took a selfie with the police, when asked what brought him to the event, said in a measured tone, "Everything that has been happening for the past many, many years, that brings me here.

"The want to hope, and the hope which this new generation has given us, that brings me here."

"Coincidentally, just before we came here, the education minister has resigned, and that's a huge step. We must congratulate all the youth who have been protesting, all across India, not just Jantar Mantar. The students in various cities and regions who have been preparing for exams, the students who have lost their lives, their families."

"I was also one of them who thought this generation was no good, will not be able to do much with all this social media etc, it's just brain rot, we have also become part of that cycle, not that we are untouched by that.

"But then, they surprised us. They surprised us in such a big way, and I hope as they grow wiser and older -- as they grow older they become wiser, I think -- they do not become quiet like our generation or the one before that."

"I hope they learn from the spirit of fighting and keep questioning the government, the system, and pass on these values to their children."

Sushant Singh, who was there with his family ("We are all into speaking for the truth, what is right"), concluded, "The future looks bright".

• COCKROACH JANTA PARTY PROTESTS, 2026

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff