"We Are Gen Z" Is New "Jaanta Nahin Mera Baap Kaun Hai": Omar Abdullah

"Jaanta nahin ho mera baap kaun hai" used to be the line people reached for when they wanted to flex a bit of privilege or access. These days, it seems to have a rival. The internet's new favourite buzz phrase is "We are Gen Z". But this time, it was not said at a protest march. It was said at a checkpoint in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has reacted to a video of a tourist confronting security personnel at a checkpoint in Kargil. "We are Gen Z. We will not tolerate this," she was heard saying in the video, visibly frustrated.

Abdullah said, "This 'we are Gen Z' has become the new 'jaantay nahin ho mera baap kaun hai'. The quickest way to erode any Gen Z goodwill is to start using it as a threat at the slightest perceived affront."

This “we are Gen Z” has become the new “jaantay nahin ho mera baap kaun hai”. The quickest way to erode any Gen Z goodwill is to start using it as a threat at the slightest perceived affront. https://t.co/ya5OJTgxIn

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 19, 2026

What Happened?

A woman was left waiting near the Minimarg check post in Dras after local police stopped travel on the Minimarg-Zoji La-Sonamarg road. The holdup was due to travel restrictions in place on that stretch, and as the wait dragged on, tempers began to rise. A crowd gathered, and the woman was filmed confronting security personnel, visibly frustrated by the delay.

In the undated clip, she can be heard questioning why others, including a minister, had apparently been allowed to pass while ordinary travellers were held back.

Read: 'May Review Travel Advisory For Americans Visiting J&K': US Envoy Sergio Gor

She said, "How did the minister leave from here... We are Gen Z. We will not tolerate this nonsense! We will not tolerate this nonsense! You all tell me, will you sit here [in protest] or not? Let's go! How will they stop us?"

"It has been five hours...they are not letting us go.... Do we pay money to come here to travel, or do we come to tolerate all this? They have locked the gate. They do this to Kashmiris, and now they are doing it to tourists from outside as well! They locked it, didn't even state their name, and walked away. There is no one sitting here to take any accountability," she added.

The video shows several tourists cheering her on as the confrontation played out, with many in the crowd praising her for speaking up about the delay.

Travel restrictions of this kind are not unusual in the Kargil region. Routes here are frequently affected by weather conditions, security requirements and the state of the roads, all of which can lead to sudden and sometimes lengthy stoppages for travellers.

The phrase "Gen Z" itself has carried weight in India's public conversation since June, when it became associated with student protests in Delhi. Those demonstrations, led by the Cockroach Janta Party, were sparked by anger over the NEET paper leak and related exam irregularities. The unrest eventually led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, who was education minister at the time.