Leaders of various political parties and social groups participate in a seminar on ‘Youth Power in Politics—Gen Z’, in Vijayawada on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. RAO
Noted political analyst and founding member of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav on Sunday (August 23, 2026) said political parties should rise above party lines to encourage and empower young people and help them develop constructive movements to address the challenges facing the country.Speaking at a discussion on “Youth Power in Politics—Gen Z,” organised under the leadership of B.P. Mandal Trust president Ala Venkateswarlu in Vijayawada, Prof. Yadav said the country had benefited from the fruits of Independence for nearly eight decades, but the younger generation was now confronted with several social, economic, and political challenges. “Political leaders and civil society organisations should guide and encourage young people and help channel their aspirations into constructive movements,” he said.Prof. Yadav alleged that the BJP was pursuing initiatives such as delimitation, “One Nation, One Election” and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls with an eye on retaining power in 2029. He called upon people to rise above caste, religious, and sectional politics and oppose what he described as communal forces.Referring to the recent Gen Z-led protests, he said the movement was not merely about alleged irregularities in NEET examinations but it reflected wider anger among young people over what he described as “leakages” and failures across various systems. He said the protests had also challenged attempts to divide people along religious lines.Political scientist and Delhi University professor N. Sukumar said the growing tendency towards personality cults could lead to authoritarianism and pose a serious threat to democracy. He criticised major political parties in Andhra Pradesh for allegedly ignoring the concerns of young people and said the lack of response to the Gen Z movement in the State was unfortunate. Andhra Pradesh had historically played an important role in left-wing and Dalit movements, he noted.CPI(M) State secretary V. Srinivasa Rao said young people were no longer willing to blindly accept what he described as messages circulated through the “Modi WhatsApp University”. He termed the Gen Z movement a progressive development for the country.CPI State secretary G. Eswaraiah said the movement had given hope to those seeking social and political change and reflected growing dissatisfaction among young people. He also welcomed children participating in campaigns for reforms in government schools under the banner of “Gen Alpha”.Dr. Ala Venkateswarlu said the B.P. Mandal Trust was committed to democracy, secularism, and social justice. He said recent farmers’ movements and the Gen Z protests had challenged the BJP government and predicted that people would increasingly mobilise against inequality.Former minister and farmers’ movement leader Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, retired IAS officer G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar, representatives of student and youth organisations, including SFI, AISF, AIYF and student wings of the Congress and YSRCP, besides Gen Z activists, attended the programme. Published - August 23, 2026 07:05 pm IST
