Youths who are described as Gen-Z belong to the age group that has no understanding of what things were like politically before Narendra Modi’s terms as Prime Minister. As such, they cannot make a comparison regarding India’s overall condition before and after. It is only natural for them to have a different perspective, which may be difficult for their elders to comprehend. However, as has been the case with youth of all generations, they feel the psychological need to make an impact, have their collective voice heard.
Surprise has been expressed at the quick mobilisation and activation of crowds wherever there have been sudden, unexpected agitations by the youth because of what are relatively local issues and grievances. Often the police have been caught by surprise and find it difficult to immediately identify the instigators. This is because, in the age of social media, they can be situated in other cities, even states. Plans to launch agitations can be hatched well in advance under the anonymity of internet platforms without the intelligence agencies getting a whiff of what’s afoot. This is why investigations into such occurrences have increasingly involved looking into the scope of the conspiracy. It would not have been possible in the past for agitations on the same issue to break out simultaneously at different places with no local cause or provocation. The way the ‘I Love Muhammed’ trend has spread is an example of eco-systems existing beyond city and state boundaries.
Also, the spread of misinformation ensures that even minor incidents can be projected as serious provocations against religious belief, caste or regional identity. An example of this is the recent ‘leak’ by an examinee of a paper after the examination had started. That comes in the category of cheating rather than a pre-test ‘leak’. However, it was projected as a general failure of the system, even involving state connivance. The protests that followed were widespread and attracted enough supporters to force the Uttarakhand Government into ordering a CBI inquiry. In effect, those who appeared for the exam are left stranded, not knowing when the next opportunity will come. It was a disproportionate response that became possible only because there seem to be deeper psychological causes than the original trigger. This has been witnessed of late in Ladakh, in UP and in Uttarakhand. Sociologists and psychologists should investigate this phenomenon before it turns into a deeper malaise.
