India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri became the center of a disturbing online storm after publicly announcing a ceasefire agreement with Pakistan on May 10. Rather than focus on the decision itself, a faction of hardline internet users launched coordinated personal attacks—not just on Misri, but shockingly, on his daughter, a lawyer known for her human rights work with displaced groups like the Rohingya.
This wasn’t just political disagreement. It was a malicious campaign aimed at intimidation and character assassination. The fact that a senior government official, acting on official policy, was attacked in this way reveals something deeply troubling about the state of online discourse in the country.
What raised even more concern was the government’s silence. Despite clear signs that Misri was acting under the highest authority—executing decisions made by top political leadership—no public defense came. While retired diplomats, civil society members, and a few opposition leaders condemned the vitriol, the silence from those in power spoke volumes. When a government fails to stand by its own envoy in the face of abuse, it sends a message: loyalty is one-way.
The pattern is familiar. When Himanshi Narwal, widow of a slain naval officer, spoke of peace amid her loss, she too was drowned in hate online. For these digital mobs, empathy is weakness, and calls for peace are betrayal. This isn’t about patriotism—it’s about punishing anyone who challenges their idea of what the nation should feel or think.
In reality, decisions like ceasefires are not made by diplomats alone. They represent strategic choices made at the highest levels. Targeting the messenger while ignoring the message’s origin is not only disingenuous, it is cowardly.
Unfortunately, the digital culture of rage thrives when ignored by those in power. When hate goes unchecked, it becomes the loudest voice in the room. And when statesmen are abandoned to fend for themselves, it undermines morale across the bureaucracy and signals that standing up for duty carries risks.
India deserves better than this culture of digital lynching. A society where reason is silenced and good faith diplomacy is punished will not grow stronger—it will grow more fearful, more fractured.
The trolls will continue to rage. But history will remember not their hashtags—but the silence of those who knew better and still chose to say nothing.
Author: This news is edited by: Abhishek Verma, (Editor, CANON TIMES)
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