It is unbecoming of so many young people to spend hours mocking the country’s most honorable politicians online
If someone looks like a moron, acts like a moron, cackles in front of cameras like a moron, and embarrasses himself in front of foreign leaders like a moron, anyone observing this may start to wonder if the person might be a moron after all. Representation pic/istock
I was happy to read about the hundreds of takedown notices that have been issued over the past few weeks to users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Apparently, they were related to all kinds of videos, memes, and cartoons poking fun at the government and some of India’s most respected and erudite politicians. I put aside my shock and horror that this material existed in the first place, and thought of how thankful I was for the speed with which the government had responded.
Monitoring social media for jokes may not seem like a priority in some countries, but I’m pretty sure you don’t become the world’s fourth largest economy without paying attention to memes that make your leaders seem ridiculous. As far as I was concerned, it was a proactive approach with which this objectionable content was nipped in the bud, preventing millions of Indians from assuming their country was being managed by morons.
For what it’s worth, I also believe that there’s nothing wrong with any country being managed by a moron, because I believe it’s this spirit of inclusivity that leads to genuine progress. When ignored, morons tend to spend time and energy on things that benefit only themselves. If given an opportunity to run a country though, they can initiate decisions that have life-altering consequences for millions. The United States of America is currently in the middle of such a transformation.
Speaking of that other great democracy and supporter of free speech, it was interesting to see a similar approach being adopted on those shores. Every American embassy and consulate has been directed to launch campaigns against foreign propaganda, to address what it calls the problem of rampant disinformation. Embassy staff have been instructed to push back, counter hostile messaging, and even recruit local influencers if necessary. In other words, it sounds like an IT cell getting into the big leagues.
It may seem like an overreach to those overtly concerned about minor issues like free speech, but I think measures like these are important for politicians who care about their image. Memes may appear to be harmless, until they start to make people question whether there’s some truth behind those jokes. If someone looks like a moron, acts like a moron, cackles in front of cameras like a moron, and embarrasses himself in front of foreign leaders like a moron, anyone observing this may start to wonder if the person might be a moron after all. It’s a slippery slope, and no serious government can afford to let those kinds of doubts creep into the national discourse.
There’s another reason why I believe the memes should stop: we’re Indians, and this is against our culture. We are not known for our levity or humour. When foreigners think of India, they tend to think of our high standards of cleanliness, our compulsive honesty, or the respect we have for women. They don’t think of jokes or comedy, and we should do everything we can to uphold that image. If outsiders start to associate us with jokes, ‘Brand India’ will take a beating. If that happens, our politicians may no longer be invited to sightseeing trips abroad, and our engineers may not be allowed to run American companies any longer. Jokes make us look bad and they must be stopped.
My hope is that this series of takedown notices becomes the start of something bigger. In time, I hope the government allocates resources towards a department tasked with public relations alone. I am aware that a majority of India’s journalists have already been recruited for this purpose, but there’s more that can and should be done. In time, it may even be possible for every tweet or video to be vetted before being posted online. Think of it as a version of the CBFC, but for the Internet. If the government can pull something like that off, it will manage to get our country to speak with one voice — the official, approved one.
There are some dangers associated with this, of course, because there’s a fine line between monitoring and control. What if that power is misused, some may ask, but it doesn’t worry me. If the past decade and a half has taught me anything, it is that India has nothing to fear on this front. We will never have a government that stifles free speech, undermines the judiciary, erodes the power of journalism, or runs away from accountability. Only cowards and dictators work that way.
When he isn’t ranting about all things Mumbai, Lindsay Pereira can be almost sweet. He can be contacted at www.lindsaypereira.com
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The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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