After massive backlash from all quarters, Twitter has issued a statement regarding its CEO posing for a photo with a placard that declared “Smash Brahminical Patriarchy”. They claimed that it was not a statement from their CEO but merely a reflection that they hear from all sides.
It is not a statement from Twitter or our CEO, but a tangible reflection of our company’s efforts to see, hear, and understand all sides of important public conversations that happen on our service around the world.
— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) November 19, 2018
Vijaya Gadde’s apology
Twitter India’s Legal, Policy and Trust & Safety Lead, Vijaya Gadde, has been apologizing to people profusely for the sentiments that were hurt. “We took a private photo with a gift just given to us – we should have been more thoughtful,” she said. She added, “we must do better to serve our customers in India”.
I’m very sorry for this. It’s not relective of our views. We took a private photo with a gift just given to us – we should have been more thoughtful. Twitter strives to be an impartial platform for all. We failed to do that here & we must do better to serve our customers in India
— Vijaya Gadde (@vijaya) November 19, 2018
Journalist refutes Gadde’s claims
Journalist Anna MM Vetticad who shared the photo that created the uproar has refuted Gadde’s claims that it was a private photo that was shared. She claims that the photo was mailed to her by a Twitter India representative to share if she so wished. Vetticad has also accused Twitter of throwing her “under the bus”.
Sad to see a lack of awareness & concern about caste issues in your tweet, @vijaya. On a separate note, this was not a “private photo” – it was shot by a @TwitterIndia rep & mailed to us to share if we wish. You are throwing us under the bus to save your skin. Unbelievable! @jack https://t.co/zZ9StvsbLb
— Anna MM Vetticad (@annavetticad) November 20, 2018
‘Liberals’ furious over Twitter’s apology
Liberals, on the other hand, are furious over Gadde’s apology over the controversy. Congress supporter Gaurav Pandhi claimed that ‘Brahminical Patriarchy’ didn’t mean criticism of the Brahmin community as a whole.
Didn’t know it was so easy to pin down Twitter. Why feel sorry for saying slam braminical patriarchy? When you say ‘Brahminical patriarchy’ it doesn’t mean Brahmin community as a whole. Just like slamming white supremacy isn’t equivalent to slamming a race as a whole! Education?
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) November 20, 2018
However, to associate Patriarchy in India with a particular caste appears disingenuous. If terrorism doesn’t have a religion, then how could Patriarchy have a caste? Columnist and Liberal, Mihir Sharma, said Twitter should be ashamed for apologizing over the placard.
Twitter wimps out. Pathetic. They ought to be ashamed https://t.co/dUIvE80yNf
— Mihir Sharma (@mihirssharma) November 20, 2018
Equating ‘Brahminism’ with White Supremacy
It is also claimed that ‘Brahminism’ is akin to White Supremacy and no one should apologize for holding a placard that proclaims the destruction of ‘Brahminical Patriarchy’.
Wrong analogy Chitra ji. The right one is, would @jack hold up a placard saying ‘Smash White Supremacy/Ku Klux Klan’ or ‘Smash Racism’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’ in the US? And I sure hope the answer is YES. https://t.co/1HjnU7ExyD
— Kavita Krishnan (@kavita_krishnan) November 20, 2018
It only reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of the Indian Left. They import Western ideas and apply them to Indian society without even bothering to reflect whether these ideas even apply to India. Discrimination did exist and continues to exist but blaming a single caste that has been historically been a minority and currently stands at about 5% of the Indian population for all the evils of the world is patently derogatory and hateful propaganda. That liberals in India speak of inclusiveness and tolerance but demonizes a particular caste through the vilest of propaganda speaks volumes of their hypocrisy.
Twitter’s late realization
It appears that Twitter has realized that it crossed a big red line that it shouldn’t have crossed and is desperately clutching at straws to escape consequences. Sandeep Mittal, Joint Secretary, Parliament of India and former director of NICFS, has asserted that the picture has the potential to incite riots and a criminal case should be registered for an attempt to destabilize the country.
Do you realise that this picture has potential of causing communal riots at a time when several States are going to Assembly Elections in India. Even now an apology is not offered. Actually its a fit case for registration of a criminal case for attempt to destablise the nation.
— Sandeep Mittal, I.P.S. (@smittal_ips) November 20, 2018
In an earlier article, we have discussed how Postmodernism has provided an intellectual defence for vile bigotry and fanaticism.
