Shashi Tharoor Issues Open Letter to Jantar Mantar Protesters, Calls for Fair Examination System and Dialogue

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has issued an open letter addressed to the students protesting at Jantar Mantar and to young people across the country, emphasizing the need for a fair, transparent, and merit-based examination system. He said that the faith of hardworking students is deeply shaken when examination papers are leaked, tests are cancelled, and the integrity of the selection process is compromised.

In his letter, Tharoor reflected on his own upbringing, stating that he was born into a middle-class family where his father was a salaried newspaper employee and his mother was a homemaker. He wrote that for families with limited financial resources, scholarships, fair examinations, and honest results are the only means of securing a better future for their children. He added that his own academic achievements were made possible through hard work and merit.

Tharoor said that when the fairness of the examination system is undermined, it is students from lower- and middle-income families who suffer the most, while the wealthy and influential often have alternative opportunities. Addressing the protesting students, he said their anger should not be viewed as indiscipline but as the genuine anguish of a generation that worked hard only to feel betrayed.

He also appealed to young people across India not to lose hope, stating that the country’s future rests in their hands and that they have a vital role in rebuilding a just and trustworthy system.

In his letter, Tharoor urged social activist Sonam Wangchuk to end his fast, saying that the protest had already succeeded in drawing national attention to students’ concerns. He expressed hope that these issues could now be addressed through parliamentary debate rather than an indefinite fast.

The Congress MP also called upon the Central Government to engage in meaningful dialogue with students, stating that listening to the concerns of young citizens and responding through democratic engagement reflects responsible and mature leadership.