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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor praised India’s democratic resilience in the wake of the recent Gen Z protests, saying the country’s political system "bent, and didn't break."

Speaking at the NDTV World Anviksha Summit, the former diplomat discussed political systems across South Asia, the Gen Z protests in the region and how India differed from other countries where young people have taken to the streets.

‘Gen Z Anger’ Across South Asia

Tharoor said six major South Asian countries had witnessed protests by young citizens over the past decade or so.

"Starting with Myanmar protests in 2012, then we saw young people hitting the streets in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and recently in India," Tharoor said.

"They were all manifestations of Gen Z anger in one way or the other."

He said the key difference lay in how the political systems and establishments in these countries responded to the protests.

"The difference among them is of the political systems in these countries and how the political establishment responded and dealt with them," Tharoor stated.

How Political Systems Responded

Tharoor said rulers in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were unable to handle the situation and had to flee, after which new rulers came to power.

"Nepal also saw a regime change but not the same as in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Here there were fresh elections and a new government came in," he said.

According to Tharoor, the military took over in Pakistan and installed what he described as a "puppet government", while the military took over in Myanmar.

‘Self-Correcting Mechanism’ In India

Tharoor said India differed from the other countries because of what he described as a "self-correcting mechanism in the Indian political system", which ensured that the voice of Gen Z was heard.

"In India, however, the mechanism is self-correcting. There is a democratic system which adapted itself to the new reality with astonishing speed," Tharoor opined.

He said the country's strong and functioning democratic system meant that the government had to respond to the demands of young protesters.

"No one expected the BJP government, which has been impervious to public demands for resignations, to respond. The Opposition has asked for resignations at least half a dozen times. Nothing happened. Suddenly, you have a minister's resignation. The recognition that democracy needs to be nimble enough to recognise a public reality and respond to it is a tribute to the Indian system."

"Our system bent and didn't break. That is a huge difference," Tharoor concluded.

‘Indian Example Gives Me Encouragement’

Tharoor said the response of Indian political institutions to the anger of young people gave him hope as an opposition leader.

"That is an encouraging way for us to go forward. The Indian example gives me encouragement as an opposition leader that our democracy has flexibility and receptivity to respond to popular currents."