Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has sided with the protesters who have assembled as Cockroach Janata Party at Jantar Mantar, stating that their rage is nothing but an expected reaction to a generation who has lost its trust in exams and merit.
In an open letter addressed to the protesters, the Thiruvananthapuram MP urged the government to begin a meaningful dialogue with young citizens raising concerns about paper leaks, cancelled examinations and the loss of trust in the system.
Tharoor framed the issue through his own experience of growing up in a middle-class household. He recalled that his father was a salaried newspaper employee and his mother was a homemaker, with the family depending on a single income to educate three children.
For families with limited financial resources, he wrote, scholarships, honest examinations and fair results are not abstract ideas. They are often the only dependable route to education and professional opportunity.
Tharoor referred to his schooling in Mumbai and Kolkata, his college years in Delhi and his admission to the Indian Institute of Management. He said he eventually chose to pursue his interest in international affairs in the United States with the support of a scholarship.
His larger point was that young people from middle-income and lower-income families depend heavily on a transparent, merit-based system. When examinations are compromised or cancelled, he argued, those without wealth or influence suffer the most.
Students from privileged backgrounds may have access to alternative opportunities, but many ordinary families invest years of savings, effort and expectation in a single examination cycle. A failure of the system, therefore, can affect not only a candidate’s career but the sacrifices of an entire household.
Addressing the protesters directly, Tharoor said their peaceful expression of anger should not be dismissed as indiscipline. He described it as the anguish of young people who followed the rules, worked hard and still felt let down.
He also reached out to young Indians who may not be participating in the protest but are following the developments from elsewhere. Their generation, he said, should not be treated as a difficulty to be controlled. Instead, it should be recognised as central to India’s future.
Tharoor sought to reassure students that the damage to their faith in the examination system need not be permanent. Rebuilding that trust, he suggested, would require the participation of young citizens as well as support from people willing to stand with them.
The MP also made a personal appeal to Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast. He said Wangchuk had already succeeded in drawing national attention to the issue and that his voice would remain important in the longer struggle ahead.
According to Tharoor, a fast is intended to awaken public conscience. Once that purpose has been achieved, the next stage should be dialogue and democratic action rather than a continued risk to life.
He said the resumption of Parliament from Monday would provide an opportunity to raise the concerns of students in the country’s highest democratic forum. The problem, he maintained, should be addressed through parliamentary intervention and public engagement, not through a fast unto death.
Concluding the letter, Tharoor called upon the government to reach out to the protesters and listen to their concerns. Engaging with young citizens, he said, should not be viewed as a sign of weakness.
Instead, he presented dialogue as an act of responsible leadership and statesmanship.
The letter brings together three central concerns: the importance of fair examinations, the emotional and financial burden placed on students and their families, and the need for democratic institutions to respond before frustration turns into deeper despair.
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