RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday offered one of his strongest endorsements yet of the country’s Gen Z, defending their right to protest and rejecting attempts to brand the younger generation “anti-national”.Bhagwat also said the conflicts with Pakistan and China should not result in the permanent severing of people-to-people relations. He argued that political and military disputes could temporarily interrupt such ties, but should not turn hostilities between states into permanent acrimony between their people.Speaking at the 15th anniversary celebration of the India International Model United Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai, the RSS chief called for dialogue over confrontation. The remarks have come nearly 10 days after the Cockroach Janta Party-led protest over examination paper leaks ended at Jantar Mantar.Bhagwat laid out his vision for strengthening the education system and working towards nation-building. He repeatedly returned to the role of Gen Z and Gen Alpha, describing them as “honest, patriotic and driven by a genuine desire to serve the country”.“I believe this new generation, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, is more honest than the existing generation of ours. If I am asked to trust someone without knowing all the facts, I will trust Gen Z,” he said.Responding to questions on student protests and demonstrations, he said young people should not be viewed with suspicion merely because they raise their voices. “If Gen Z is raising its voice, it is not doing so merely to oppose someone. There is some pain, some difficulty. That should be addressed. The protests in a democracy should aim at “system correction” rather than targeting individuals,” he said.Rejecting the tendency to label protesting youth as “anti-national”, Bhagwat argued that governments and society should begin dialogue before grievances escalated into larger movements.The RSS chief, however, declined to comment on specific allegations of police action against protesters, saying he did not possess complete information. “To understand why such incidents happen, we have to examine the facts,” he said.Education emerged as the second major theme of the interaction. Calling it the foundation of nation-building, he said the country must stop treating education as a business. He argued that quality education should be accessible to everyone and supported the long-standing demand for higher public spending of 6 per cent on education.He also urged society to shoulder responsibility alongside governments by supporting schools, improving infrastructure and investing in teachers.On LGBTQ issues, he said society should discuss a legal framework for same-sex companionship while maintaining his opposition to same-sex marriage.