The Social Media Abuse Of India’s Foreign Minister

sushma swaraj

The RSS inspired trolls abusing and threatening with rape to the daughter of a woman political leader on social media is reflective of the how much we have drowned in these four years. Our Prime Minister who opens his mouth on any international event of ‘terrorism’ or a bus accident in Jhumritallaiya but rarely spoken against these threats of violence and intimidation against women political leaders particularly belonging to the opposition parties.

The abuse of India’s foreign minister Sushma Swaraj started over the transfer of Passport Seva Kendra official Vikas Mishra in Lucknow for allegedly humiliating the interfaith couple. The couple alleged that he humiliated them when they went to the office with their passport applications. According to the couple, Mishra asked the husband to convert to Hinduism and pulled up the wife for marrying a Muslim.

Now, Mrs Sushma Swaraj too have been abused and trolled but except for home minister Rajnath Singh, none of the ministers have bothered to defend Sushma Swaraj. Frankly speaking, Sushma ji herself has never bothered to open her mouth on growing violence against women the threat culture and the political encouragement to these goons. I can only remember, Sanjay Gandhi’s goondas were like that and I wrote in 2013 that the new model of governance is nothing but copied from Sanjay Gandhi. This model basically create ‘extra-state’ actors who have blessings of the tallest leaders so that they can intimidate, threaten, harass and humiliate the political opponents.

Sushma ji has been an ideal woman as far as Sangh Parivar is concerned. She celebrate ‘Karwachauth’, dance on Teej, sport a full sindoor and follow all the customs that are required for a Hindu woman and yet the thugs are not satisfied with her because she is doing her work as a Minister independently respecting the constitution. On the day, when the Prime Minister was congratulating the Social media ‘activists’ for ‘innovative’ ideas, Sushmaji was being trolled shamelessly by the Hindutva goons and yet no Minister and politician found it to rebut all those anonymous trollers which are allowed by the twitter.

Now, Ms Priyanka Chaturvedi has been threatened by the these goons. It is not merely obscene and atrocious but totally criminal and the police must arrest that goon and file cases against him. Will the prime minister or his party president ever find time to say to his followers or even to others to come back to sanity and talk sense. Will the party of chal, charitra and Chehara ever condemn these goondas threatening women with different viewpoints from their character assassination.

But can we expect anything from a party whose chief minister order arrest of a teacher who has just gone to seek redressal of her problem. She might be right or wrong and the Chief Minister too might be right in saying that his Janta Darbar should not be allowed to be used by the government employees to vent their grievances but what about the body language of the chief minister. Was he dignified as a leader ? The onus was more on the chief minister to behave in a better way. He looked feudal who got offended because a woman spoke to him looking in his eye and in ‘Sangh culture’ it is not possible for women to look independent and holding head high. Whatever you are, you have to work under brahmanical patriarchy. The trolls are now trying to character assassinate the woman as being an absentee and suspended earlier too.

The role of the trolls in disturbing our environment and converting the issue into a non one has become big. Look at what is happening in Mandsaur. A child was brutally raped and we all condemn it and want early execution. The rapist, it is now known, happen to be a Muslim. So what. No one from the Muslim community has supported him. No one has brought out any candle march for the rapist like the Sanghis doing it in Jammu as if the brahmins cant do the same. The role of the Sangh Parivar inspired mob in Jammu can shame any human being believing in humanity, human rights and rule of law. Some of them claimed to be lawyers who wanted to stall the judicial process. The difference between Kathua and Mandsaur is that the RSS inspired groups stood up for those accused of rape while in Mandasaur none is defending the accused even when we all should and must say that the law must take its own course. The protests should be meant for the police and investigating agencies to do their work properly and independently. One leading ‘feminist’ of yesteryears now turned as saffron aunt has been justifying and vilifying all those who are seeking justice for Kathua gang rape girl. For this feminist, now jaati become more important than feminism and for years she has taken shelter in the Sangh thoughts and looking for some plum posts which has not come to her way till date but then the Bhakts are always ‘hopeful’ of getting the ‘prasad’ and for that they will continue to chant the jap and mantra of vilifying the opponents and glorify their master.

So far no words of condemnation to people Sangh claim to have a very disciplined cadre but it had not uttered a word about what is happening in India. That a person with Jai Shri Ram on his twitter handle threaten openly to rape the daughter of a politician from Congress Party and Parivar and its political party remain silent is the statement on the culture. I do not know how Pranab Mukherjee could justify his going to Nagpur and address the meeting when the party spokesperson on TV can ask for beating the leader of the opposition party with shoes. Sangh always claimed to have better culture and talked of Bhartiyata and sanskriti but all those talks were possible when they were a small and marginalised party. After coming to power, they seems to think that intimidation, threats and assault are the best defence apart from the crooked and corrupt anchors on TV studios meant to distort history, cook up new stories and vilify the opponents. How long will democracy allow such culture to flourish ? How should people respond to such threats on social media. If political parties do not take stand, what is the legal course ? Should twitter be taken to court and ask to stop allowing anonymous people having fake IDs. The whole culture of fake IDs must stop and strict action should be taken against those who threaten people on social media. We know those who benefit from these goons will never do the same but it is time when all the like minded people join hand and put not only national but international pressure on these social media giants to stop hate propaganda from their platform and take all legal action against such people who threaten and intimidate people online.

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @freetohumanity Email: [email protected]

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Vidya Bhushan Rawat

Vidya Bhushan Rawat is a social and human rights activist. He blogs at www.manukhsi.blogspot.com twitter @freetohumanity Email: [email protected]

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