3 min readUpdated: Jul 26, 2026 11:04 PM IST
After the Cockroach Janta Party’s 36-day long protest over NEET paper leak turned successful following the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had a banter with his son Ishan Tharoor online as the latter remarked that Boomers should be banned on WhatsApp in India. The Parliamentarian said, “Given our reproductive patterns, my son, unlike in the West, every generation of Indians, including yours, qualifies as [baby]Boomers!”
Given our reproductive patterns, my son, unlike in the West, every generation of Indians, including yours, qualifies as [baby]Boomers! https://t.co/wpCgTXHsMb
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 26, 2026
Ishan, who is an American journalist, was responding to a post by Zoho’s co-founder Sridar Vembu on France passing laws banning social media for those under the age of 15. The 42-year-old wrote on X, “I agree young kids should not be on social media at all. But India needs to ban Boomers on WhatsApp first before it does anything else.”
I agree young kids should not be on social media at all. But India needs to ban Boomers on WhatsApp first before it does anything else https://t.co/Vh24ZdIQKT
— Ishaan Tharoor (@ishaantharoor) July 24, 2026
Vembu had posted, “India should ban social media for young children too. I believe young children should read physical books, play in the dirt under the sun and stay away from social media!”
India’s online revolution wins on the ground
Abhijit Dipke had founded the CJP by setting up an Instagram account asking social media users to join the party on May 16. Soon, Gen Z mobilised and agitation began over NEET paper leak followed by activist Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike. Eventually, Pradhan tendered his resignation as the Centre paid heed to the relentless Gen Z.
In an opinion column published in The Indian Express, addressing Gen-Z, Tharoor said, “The emergence of movements like the CJP offers a powerful, albeit heartbreaking, piece of political theatre. It captures the visceral feeling of being treated as disposable by a system that seems unresponsive to the struggles of ordinary citizens. It seems a safe space for those of you dealing with the crushing weight of unemployment, the rising cost of living, and the narrowing of the pathways to quality education….Frustration is not an end in itself. You don’t need to be treated like cockroaches, and you don’t need to adopt the label as your permanent identity.”