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Dissent is fine, but must stay within constitutional limits: Author Amish Tripathi on Gen Z protests

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Author Amish Tripathi stated that Gen Z's protests are a natural part of generational expression, similar to past movements.
  • He emphasized that dissent must remain within constitutional limits, referencing Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's vision.
  • Tripathi also called for decolonizing Indian history education, arguing that textbooks still contain colonial-era biases.

Author Amish Tripathi believes that the protests involving Gen Z are a natural generational phenomenon, mirroring past movements in India. He stressed that while young people have the right to protest, their actions must strictly adhere to constitutional frameworks, as envisioned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Every generation, when they were of college age, has participated in protests.

— Amish TripathiComparing Gen Z protests to those of previous generations.

Tripathi noted that every generation has engaged in protests during their college years. He recalled the Naxalite movement during the Boomer generation's time, the Mandal agitation for Gen X, and the 2011-12 anti-corruption movement for Millennials. "It is not okay to single out Gen Z for participating in protests," he stated, adding that previous generations were also involved in significant agitations.

"My only thing is as long as it does not go into the unconstitutional territory," Tripathi said, referencing Ambedkar's "Grammar of Anarchy" speech. He urged adherence to India's constitutional system for pursuing desired reforms. "We have a constitutional system now in India. We must follow the constitutional system and push for reforms we want through constitutional means," he added.

My only thing is as long as it does not go into the unconstitutional territory.

— Amish TripathiStressing the importance of adhering to constitutional means during protests.

Beyond protests, Tripathi also highlighted the need to "decolonize" the teaching of Indian history. He observed that many school textbooks continue to reflect colonial-era biases, presenting a skewed version of the past. His new children's book, 'Dhruv - Tara: The Great Indian History Quiz,' aims to present historical facts from a decolonized perspective through an engaging narrative.

We have a constitutional system now in India. We must follow the constitutional system and push for reforms we want through constitutional means.

— Amish TripathiAdvocating for the use of constitutional channels for change.

Tripathi expressed concern that history has become a boring subject for many children, with an estimated 70-80% finding it unengaging. He attributed this to the way history is taught and the content of textbooks, suggesting a need for a more dynamic and less biased approach to make the subject compelling for younger generations.

Many things are still carrying a colonised version of history.

— Amish TripathiCritiquing the current state of Indian history education.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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