Whither this hatred?

Manpriya Singh

The number of followers doesn’t even matter all that much, it’s the 280 characters that hold quite a lot of weight and a whole lot of power. And, lately, who knows this better than the sacked Indian-origin chef Trilok Singh for his hate comments (actually much worse, a rape threat) to a Delhi law student Swati Khanna.

Just as the cheers (and even criticism) trickles in on the action taken against the chef, PM Modi in the meanwhile, clarifies his ‘quitting’ social media accounts for a day and giving access of his 53 million followers to women whose life and work inspires us. However, there is also no denying the access to hate letters and trolls these women might also have!

What’s the logic?

Politics, religion and cricket, especially invite fanatics rather than fans in India and that’s where the hate mails start. Political blogger and social media influencer, Manteshwar Singh, from Xdmad, credits the hate posts and several objectionable trolls to two things — fan culture and illogical arguing. “When any person becomes a fan of any political leader or a party, he or she immediately takes to fanaticism and fail as a thinking citizen,” says the young blogger, who has faced backlash from both sides from almost every quarter.

“Also you get tagged immediately. If I praise any policy by PM Modi, I am a bhakt. If I criticise him, the next day I am an anti-national,” he says, adding how he is now not just used to abuses, but even comfortable with them. “They get down to straightaway abuses when they lose an argument, which I make it a point to carry forward with history and facts.”

It’s a new platform

Who hasn’t in the past laughed over memes to do with politically incorrect posts and slightly offensive humour? Neither has Shashi Tharoor till date been spared the questions to do with ‘cattle class’ that erupted as recently as at a lit-fest that he graced a couple of months ago, nor has Sabysachi been spared the explanation over his opinion on “overdressed women being wounded”. But hate mails, rape threats, explicit abuses and profanity are where the smirks stop and the debate begins. Sociologist Sherry Sabharwal, professor, Department of Sociology, PU, feels there is a deep-rooted problem to people spewing venom and hatred on social media. “Abuses and profanity are nothing new, but the platform definitely is. At least it provides instant gratification, and is easier for people to take their angst and venom out. One cannot even say that they are doing out of anonymity because in this case the name and face were clearly visible,” says the professor, adding how two men coming to blows and letting their baser instincts take over even amidst 20 other people is not a new situation on the streets. “If you go past the surface and dig deeper into the profiles of such people, they are often unhappy, unsatisfied and frustrated at some other level.”

As for the serious repercussions, several non-resident Indians, especially in the Gulf, have had to face deportation, pink slips and even more serious troubles for provocative posts that didn’t go well with the employer organisations. While the 38-year-old Trilok Singh was the head chef at an Indian restaurant Grand Barbeque, in 2018 owners of another hotel in Dubai ended their contract with a Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar over anti-Islam tweet. Now who said people amidst food are happy people!

Posts that didn’t go well

When Bollywood finally found a spine to comment a day after the police brutality in Delhi on protesting students, there were immediate reports on the consequences that the actors faced. While Haryana government may have later clarified to the contract ending for Parineeti Chopra, that nevertheless didn’t stop the speculations to do with her being dropped from Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign and the anti-CAA tweet.

Swara Bhasker, Anurag Kashyap, Richa Chadha are perhaps hate mails’ ‘favourite children,’ for their political activism. Whether there should be a governing body, law or rulebook, to monitor all things objectionable on social media is something Sonu Nigam feels, “is a very relevant debate in today’s times. And the one that needs to reach the right people.” But having been there, done that and long moved on, he doesn’t want to probably open the Pandora’s Box again… because there’s also no denying the misuse of a few words.

manpriya@tribunemail.com