Actor and social activist Prakash Raj on Thursday said “the end of the fascists is closing,” asserting that the growing assertiveness of young people across the country had given him “more confidence and more hope” in the fight against authoritarian politics.

He was inaugurating the delegate session of the 16th DYFI State Conference in Thrissur, Keralam.

Referring to recent youth protests, Mr. Raj said young people were no more scared of the ruling establishment and had begun questioning those in power.

“For the first time, youngsters have said, ‘We are not afraid of you.’ We needed somebody to say that,” he said.

He compared the emerging youth resistance to the warning call of a deer that spots a predator. “For years we thought the deer’s alarm call was to tell the other deer to escape. No. When it sees the tiger, it moves one step ahead and says, ‘Ka!’ It is telling the tiger, ‘I saw you,’” he said. “And the youth of this country has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ‘Ka!’ — ‘Now I know you. I know your politics.”

“Youngsters have punctured their ego. That is why BJP government is scared,” he said.

On CJP protests

Recalling his participation in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, he said he had witnessed the “resilience and power” of young protesters.

“Because of the youth, the Prime Minister has started making reels. Because of the youth, he is calling us ‘Dhimagi Naxalites’,” Mr. Raj said.

He said the label itself showed that the ruling establishment had acknowledged that citizens were thinking and questioning. “At last, he has accepted that we all have brains. He has accepted that he is afraid of brains, afraid of people questioning and afraid of people protesting,” he said.

Mr. Raj said the nature of protest has now changed. “Now protest is not Jantar Mantar. It is wherever we are,” he said. “We had seen many protests, including farmers’ protests and workers protests. But most of them had been constrained by the fear of losing their jobs, land or livelihoods. But these youngsters have nothing to lose,” he said.

Many of the young protesters, he noted, were children when the present political establishment came to power.

“They did not choose them. Now they have grown up and are saying, ‘Ka!’ It is a wonderful stage where the predator doesn’t know what to do,” he said.

Mr. Raj, however, cautioned against viewing the removal of one political regime as the ultimate objective.

“Just pushing the fascist regime is not enough, because another one may come in that position,” he said.

Even if public anger eventually removes one government from power, he said, that alone would not constitute a meaningful political alternative.

“We need to see that another fascist in another group, in another form, should not come,” he said.

Mr. Raj called upon young people to go beyond street protests and develop a deeper political consciousness.

“DYFI, youngsters, you and elders have to continuously work not only to bring down the fascists, but also make every citizen and every youngster aware of how to choose an alternative,” he said.

Mr. Raj said the youth movement should evolve into a sustained campaign for political awareness, justice and a better society.

“This movement, which is now fighting the fascists, should grow richer with a sense of politics, righteousness and the ability to decide and create awareness,” he said.

Published - August 20, 2026 03:17 pm IST