Senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda on 28 August called on all political parties to refrain from appropriating the growing youth-led campaign over failing public schools, examination irregularities, and unemployment, insisting that young Indians must be allowed to lead their own movement without political interference.

Pitroda's Core Warning

Speaking in an interview from New York, Pitroda said the Congress could play a supporting role but should not attempt to capture the movement for electoral gain. 'Love them, care for them, support them, let them do their thing. Don’t politicize it,' he said. He added that even within his own political circles, he would resist any move to co-opt the campaign: 'I’m saying any political party whom I am close to, if they had said, “Oh, we want to capture this,” I would have said, no. Don’t do that. That’s not in the interest of the young people.'

Why Congress Stayed Back

Asked why the Congress had not taken the lead in channelling youth anger, Pitroda argued that political intervention would have damaged the movement's credibility. 'Because the idea was not to really polarize. Idea was to let them do what they think is right to do. By your interfering in there, you would have destroyed their initiative,' he said. He described the Congress's preferred posture as catalytic rather than directive: 'We could be a catalyst, but not take advantage of that.'

What Young Protesters Are Demanding

Pitroda framed the campaign as fundamentally about basic public services, not partisan politics. 'They are saying solve my problem. Fix my school. It’s leaking. Fix my garden. Fix my bathroom. Paint my school. Make sure my teacher comes on time. Hire teachers. Make sure my primary healthcare centre works,' he said. He added that protesters also want reliable examinations and meaningful employment pathways: 'Make sure my exams are properly conducted and make sure I have opportunities to build my life.' Notably, Pitroda also defended the use of strong language by some protesters, saying it reflected the depth of their frustration rather than a disqualifying breach of conduct. 'Some kids really were really mad and used four letter words and all kinds of foul language. To me, it’s okay. I’m not mad at them. It shows their anger,' he said.

Shared Responsibility: Communities and Parents

Pitroda argued that the responsibility for school conditions does not rest with the government alone. He called on local communities and parents to step in where the state has fallen short. 'Why can’t local community say that we will go and fix our children’s school? What does it take? Not much,' he said. He suggested that the youth movement had succeeded in bringing into focus a collective failure that parents, communities, and governments had all contributed to by neglecting educational infrastructure.

Broader Context

India has one of the world's largest youth populations, making education quality, competitive examination integrity, and employment generation perennially high-stakes political issues. Student-led protests have periodically erupted over examination paper leaks, recruitment delays, fee hikes, and deteriorating conditions in publicly funded institutions. The Congress, as the principal national opposition party and leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has consistently raised unemployment, examination irregularities, and education costs as political concerns. The Union government, in turn, has pointed to economic growth figures, skills development programmes, infrastructure investment, and recruitment drives. How political parties navigate the current youth wave — without being seen to exploit it — will likely shape their standing with a demographic that is increasingly impatient with institutional failure.