Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address from the Red Fort this year was significant not merely for what he said, but for whom he appeared particularly keen to address. The speech retained the familiar themes of nationalism, security, self-reliance and development, but there was a noticeable departure: India’s youth, particularly the younger generation, occupied an unusually prominent place in his political imagination. This emphasis cannot be viewed in isolation from the changing mood among young Indians. The recent youth-led “Cockroach Janta Party” agitation, along with growing anxieties over examinations, coaching costs and employment, has exposed a constituency that cannot…