A recent incident has raised serious concerns about the protection of freedom of expression. Actor Vijay Sethupathi has been hosting the 'Bigg Boss' show on a private television channel. In it, a remark he shared about leadership spread like wildfire on social media.
TVK supporters took it to mean that Vijay Sethupathi was indirectly criticizing their leader. For the past two days, they have been digging up Vijay Sethupathi’s entire history and hurling abuses in a way that would damage his character and image. As a result, the private channel itself has issued a regretful clarification, saying that the comment Vijay Sethupathi shared was only centered on the program.
There is no problem with Vijay Sethupathi being criticized by Vijay’s supporters. It is the nature of that criticism that raises the suspicion that the throat of freedom of expression is being strangled. Vijay Sethupathi is sharing a false opinion in a way that indirectly attacks our leader. The truth is contrary to the opinion he shared. We have a view that stands in opposition to the opinion he shared. If these criticisms had been a counterargument to a point of view or a debate, there would have been no problem. But here, the IDs circulating online as TVK supporters have taken a dangerous path.
In other words, who are you to say something like this? Have you gotten so bold that you can even put forward a counter-opinion against our leader? They have been acting like online thugs, hurling abuses and behaving rowdily. Some others are posting, “Boss, put a check on this guy’s film.”
The very foundation of democracy is the coexistence of arguments and counterarguments. To say that no criticism should be directed at anyone, and no unwelcome opinion should be expressed, is itself against democracy. Unfortunately, after the spread of the internet, in the world of social media, IT wings that act as hired squads for parties and leaders launch attacks on people who voice opinions they do not agree with, without any mercy, dignity, or ethics.
They seek to silence opposing voices without leaving a trace. They muzzle dissenters with chains of abuse so tightly that they cannot even open their mouths. There is no party distinction in this.
This is what the BJP has been doing across India ever since it came to power in 2014. Many journalists, writers, and social activists who have been affected by the BJP IT wing’s troll factory have documented their harrowing experiences in detail.
Another very important weapon wielded by such online mercenaries is the politics of character assassination and labeling. If you question the BJP, they will first try to destroy the character of the person asking the question.
Anyone who speaks against the BJP is portrayed as anti-national and lacking patriotism. These attacks know no bounds, with labels like anti-Indian, urban Naxal. And if the critic is from a minority community, their job becomes very easy.
What the BJP did across India, the DMK’s online mercenary army did in Tamil Nadu over the past five years. They spare no one who raises legitimate criticism against the government. Anyone who digs up something from somewhere and criticizes them is branded a 'sanghi'.
Anyone who raises dissenting views against the DMK will be branded as opposed to social justice. A group, without revealing any identity, will pounce on anyone who voices an opinion. One major reason was that, instead of even listening to fair criticism of the DMK government’s failures, they created an illusion through their online mercenaries that Tamil Nadu had turned into a paradise. The mood on the ground was different. The people’s verdict was different.
The great tragedy is that even under the rule of TVK, which came to power shouting “Change... change...,” the rampage of online troll armies continues. Through their online attacks, they can even destabilize a well-known person like Vijay Sethupathi, who has his own fan base and influence.
Like other parties, they too brand Vijay Sethupathi, whom they criticize. “Vijay Sethupathi is a 200-rupee UP, bonded laborer...” and all sorts of abusive language.
What if Vijay Sethupathi is indeed a DMK supporter? Speak against the point being made, and discuss it. If only TVK supporters are allowed to question the TVK government, then here, there are more people who voted against TVK than those who supported and voted for it.
To say that only TVK supporters should ask questions of the TVK government would strip democratic values of all meaning. Instead of digging around until they find points to brand the questioner—who this person is, what their background is—it is far easier to answer the questions properly and present a fitting counterargument. But that democratic spirit has never been taught to the online mercenaries of mass political parties.
It is possible to silence the mouths of people who criticize online. Their throats can be choked. But that cannot always be done on the ground. The more opposing voices are suppressed, the more public opinion and sentiment will gather in support of those voices. When the opportunity comes, people will deliver the right counterblow.
So, it is the duty of political parties to rein in their online mercenaries. The lesson time keeps teaching us is that if they are allowed to run wild, the people themselves will give the fitting response.!