Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday underlined the importance of engaging with young people, saying political leaders “must listen” to their concerns rather than simply speak to them.
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His remarks came a day after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi launched an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session on Instagram on Thursday.
“I believe that in politics, you must listen to the people and engage with them… Ultimately, politics is about the good of the country. The young people are now an increasingly significant segment of our population. As I pointed out, they will be the largest single voting bloc in 2029. It is also in our political interest to listen to what they care about and what they want,” Tharoor told news agency PTI.
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Tharoor said he chose not to deliver a speech at Jantar Mantar during the CJP-led protests last month and instead focused on hearing the views of those gathered there.
“So, I am very much inclined to talk to them. Even at Jantar Mantar, I went there only to listen. I did not give any speech at Jantar Mantar. I was simply listening to what they had to say. We have to listen. That is a very important message for all politicians,” Tharoor said.
Gandhi’s outreach to the young people took a Gen Z turn with the launch of an “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) session through Instagram stories on Thursday. AMAs are a popular social media format that allows users to ask questions, with the creator choosing which ones to answer through their stories.
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Launching the session, Gandhi wrote, “Students, Gen-Z ask me anything and I’ll reply to as many questions.”
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The outreach comes amid a noticeable shift in how political leaders are engaging with Gen Z, particularly after the recent student protest at Jantar Mantar that led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister.
