Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Tuesday that “anarchic forces” were trying to provoke young people and create unrest in society, suggesting that a conspiracy could be behind the Gen Z protests that have rocked the country.Addressing the media on the sidelines of the RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting in Indore, Hosabale also spoke about the alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which has become a political firestorm in the country. He claimed that he did not see why political parties were raising this issue while maintaining that the exercise was important.Hosabale said young people had legitimate concerns that needed to be heard, but their protests should not be allowed to become a means of dividing society.“Look, whatever political objective people may have in seeking regime change, there is democracy in the country. Regimes change through elections and so on. That is a separate matter. But creating unrest in society, creating divisions or resorting to violence is not in the interest of society,” Hosabale said.Anarchic forces, he claimed, were trying to provoke people both from within the country and outside it. “Perhaps, from the experiences of other countries around the world, it appears that there is also a certain conspiracy behind this.”Hosabale said the RSS believed that the grievances of young people should be addressed through dialogue rather than dismissed as anti-national.“Just because young people raise certain issues does not mean that they are acting against the country. We should maintain a dialogue with them. It is necessary to have a positive dialogue with the new generation and explain things to them. Young people are angry everywhere. We were also young once. We too were angry and participated in movements. We were also part of the JP movement. We were the youth of that time,” Hosabale said.Story continues below this adThe RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal meeting in Indore comes at a time of heightened political and social tension. The RSS leaders discussed growing youth discontent over unemployment and examination paper leaks, the controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, and concerns over alleged external interference in domestic affairs.‘Have a dialogue with them’In his address, Hosabale said every society and government should pay attention to the aspirations of young people and the problems they face.“The Sangh insists on having a dialogue with young people. Every generation of young people develops a feeling against the establishment or against the prevailing ideas of that time. There are ways to channelise that feeling. But to misuse it, pursue political self-interest through it, try to divide society or resort to violence is absolutely wrong. We oppose this,” Hosabale said.Explaining the RSS’s approach to the protests, Hosabale said young people could be motivated by genuine grievances as well as a desire to improve society, and that both needed to be understood.Story continues below this ad“We should understand the mindset of young people…(they) may be protesting against injustice in society, whether it is something happening to them personally or something happening to society. There are ways to channelise their protests. They should do so. Young people also have ideas about how to improve society…We should listen to them and think about what they have to say,” Hosabale said.Express Investigation | What Election Commission rift reveals: Cloud over its conductHe said young people had the right to demand administrative action to resolve their problems, as good people “cannot simply remain at home”.“If young people genuinely have problems on the ground, they have the right to demand the necessary administrative arrangements to resolve them…anarchic forces should not be allowed to dominate India in any way…the inactivity of well-meaning people in society encourages anarchic forces. [Good people] also have to speak out. The organised voice of well-meaning people will suppress the voice of anarchic forces. If good people remain silent, anarchic forces become dominant,” Hosabale said.On the controversy surrounding the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Hosabale said political parties were entitled to pursue their agendas in a democracy, but should establish the facts before protesting against the exercise.Story continues below this adOn SIRAt the same time, Hosabale defended the revision of electoral rolls, citing the presence of deceased voters and duplicate entries, and said the inclusion of non-citizens in electoral rolls would be a matter of concern for the country’s security.“Political parties are accustomed to working according to their respective agendas. They can do so. This is a democracy. But if they want to protest, they should do so after examining whether there is any truth in the issue. What is the purpose of the SIR? It is to revise the electoral rolls. Such revisions have been carried out in the past as well,” Hosabale said.The RSS leader said there were 13 crore names in the electoral rolls, and several of those people were no longer alive, but their names remained on the lists. It was not right for so many such names to remain.Express Investigation | Election Commissioners knocked on Cabinet Secretary’s door over voter software integrity“Or there are people whose names appear in two places. Those names should be removed. Why should a person have their name in two places? I received a notice from the Election Commission. My brother had told me that my name was in the records in my village about 20 years ago. That name continued to appear in every electoral roll. I have never voted in my village, not even once. I vote where I live, using the electoral roll there. Why should it remain in two places?” Hosabale questioned.Hosabale said non-Indian citizens “have become voters”.Story continues below this ad“That is wrong from the perspective of the country’s economic and social security. This process of revision should be carried out from time to time. If there are incorrect names, or names of people who are not entitled to be on the list, they should be removed,” he said, adding that he “did not see the point” of flagging SIR.‘Reservation is to address historic inequality’On the debate over reservation, Hosabale said the RSS believed affirmative action should continue until social inequality arising from discrimination had been removed. Any changes to the system should be made in consultation with those entitled to its benefits, he said.“People who have become socially and educationally backward because of discrimination in society should continue to receive reservation until the inequality is removed.”Reservation, he said, was necessary from a social and historical perspective.Story continues below this ad“Reservation is a system for addressing this inequality. Those who have suffered because of discrimination should continue to receive this arrangement until they feel that equality has been achieved in society. There are similar arrangements in other countries. In America, it is called affirmative action. In some other countries, it is called positive discrimination. In India, we have reservation,” Hosabale said.On the RSS’s presence overseas, Hosabale said the organisation had no intention of becoming an international body, maintaining that its activities were confined to India. He said RSS volunteers were present in 80 to 100 countries, where they worked to organise Hindu communities in accordance with local laws.“The Sangh is not going to become an international organisation. Sangh volunteers are present in 80 to 100 countries around the world. They are making efforts to organise the Hindu community in those countries, in accordance with the laws of those countries. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh works only within the borders of India. We have no intention of becoming an international organisation,” Hosabale said.