With their parents bombarding them on WhatsApp with misinformation and even abuse over their stand on India’s new citizenship law, young women are hiding their identities on social media to voice outrage and find alternative families.
Young people, particularly women, have been at the forefront of the ongoing wave of protests over the law, but this can be dangerous in a largely conservative and patriarchal society.
When Priya takes part in protests, for example, the fear of the riot police — 25 people have died in the past almost two weeks — comes second to the terror of her bigoted Hindu father finding out her whereabouts and halting her education.
WhatsApp with misinformation and even abuse over their stand on India’s new citizenship law, young women are hiding their identities on social media to voice outrage and find alternative families
“He just has this hatred of Muslims — every opportunity he has lost in life, he blames them,” says Priya, 20, too scared to give her real name in case her New Delhi family find out.
“I have tried so many times to talk to him. But every conversation we have ends with him threatening to pull me out of college and get me married off,” the student tells AFP.
An invasion of falsehoods: India’s ‘liberals’ running propaganda war over new citizenship law#CitizenshipAmendmentBill
Op-Ed by Abhijit Majumderhttps://t.co/JJIqcxxGw6 pic.twitter.com/TSEqkH3eYZ
— RT (@RT_com) December 22, 2019
Her story is reflected across India’s dining tables, FaceTime chats and WhatsApp family groups in what is turning out to be the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he rose to power in 2014.
“My father keeps spamming me on WhatsApp with fake news and videos — it’s really frustrating,” says Priya.
Read more: Whatsapp Terror: Indian police arrest 25 in latest lynching
She used to hit back with links to fact-checking websites before his threats to end her education forced her to hide her political views from her parents.
Her father, she says, has no idea about her Twitter account, where she uses a handle that shields her identity.
https://twitter.com/Globalpoliticss/status/1208713592532586496
Entitled Parents
These WhatsApp wars have effectively upended personal relationships, says Anshul Tewari, editor-in-chief of Youth Ki Awaaz, a crowdsourced news website focussing on India’s youth.
“Young people today care enormously about having a voice and being heard,” Tewari tells AFP, pointing to the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and climate change marches around the world.
FaceTime chats and WhatsApp family groups in what is turning out to be the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since he rose to power in 2014
But unlike their global counterparts, young Indians have to find ways to express themselves against the backdrop of a culture which places a huge premium on parental authority.
“In many cases, Indian parents feel entitled to decide who their children should love, how they should live and even how they should think,” says Tewari.
Read more: India issues fresh warning to WhatsApp over lynching deaths
That sense of control is particularly pronounced when it comes to the lives of young women, he adds.
Black Sheep
At 27, Sweta Bagaria — not her real name — describes herself as the black sheep of her family because she insisted on getting a job, the first woman in her family to do so.
Bagaria accuses her conservative Hindu parents of physical and financial abuse — controlling her bank account, beating her, and refusing to hand over documents required to rent a flat.
Like Priya, the Mumbai-based video editor has been actively involved in the demonstrations against the citizenship law, which she calls “a gross violation of human rights”.
“In many cases, Indian parents feel entitled to decide who their children should love, how they should live and even how they should think,” says Tewari
Her views have driven an even bigger wedge between her and her parents, who she describes as bigots unwilling to employ or work with Muslims.
“I used to feel really alone until this year, when I found an online community on Twitter who are going through similar conflicts at home,” she says, referring to them as her “alternate family”.
Kalaburagi against #CAA_NRC #CitizenshipAmendmentBill
People are coming out voluntarily to protest against #Section144. #CAAProtests are increasing & I hope better sense will prevail over the BJP leadership to repeal this act which divides India on religion lines. pic.twitter.com/lWrh5o1MBM— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) December 19, 2019
“Also, at the end of the day, I know that my struggles are nothing compared to what others in this country, especially Muslims, are going through,” she says.
Read more: India demands answers from WhatsApp after reports of spying
“That makes it even more important for me to show up.”
Since the demonstrations kicked off, Bagaria — who is an avid Twitter user — has shared pamphlets and produced a video urging others to protest.
This Student should consider herself lucky to narrate her fake story.
Sunanda Pushkar Tharoor wasn't that lucky, she never got a chance to explain Her pain & suffering caused by the person she trusted the most. #ISupportCAA #CitizenshipAmendmentBill #CongressSponsoredViolence https://t.co/S4pCRjWyuX
— Ram Satpute (@RamVSatpute) December 17, 2019
She has chalked up a few successes on that front, such as convincing a friend who had never even bothered to vote to participate in a string of demonstrations.
But she has little hope of ever being able to persuade her family.
“I tried for years. There’s no reaching them,” she says.
AFP with additional input by GVS News Desk.