‘Me Too Urban Naxal’ trends on Twitter after arrest of activists across India

Following the arrests, filmmaker and author Vivek Agnihotri asked for a list of 'Urban Naxals', prompting Twitterati to hit back with a #MeTooUrbanNaxal hashtag.
‘Me Too Urban Naxal’ trends on Twitter after arrest of activists across India
‘Me Too Urban Naxal’ trends on Twitter after arrest of activists across India
Written by:

A social media storm has been brewing following the raids by the Pune police in many states on Tuesday, where they arrested poets, writers and activists, accusing them of being "Maoist sympathisers".

The police raided homes of Varaara Rao and Kranthi Tekula in Hyderabad, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Pereira in Mumbai, Sudha Bharadwaj and Stan Swami in Chhattisgarh, Gautam Navlakha in Delhi and Anand Teltumbde in Goa.

Varavara Rao, Vernon Gonsalves and Sudha Bharadwaj have been detained by the police. 

Many people have said on social media that this is merely a way to curb and discourage dissent. Meanwhile, film director and author Vivek Agnihotri asked some “bright young minds” to put together a list of those defending “Urban Naxals”.

Several social media users slammed Vivek's tweet and argued that terms like "Urban Naxal" and others were simply used by a section of the media and people to malign those who have an anti-establishment stance. Others accused him of openly inciting hate.

Check out some of the tweets in response to Vivek below.

Soon, the hashtag “Me Too Urban Naxal” started trending, with people ridiculing Vivek’s call to make a list. They argued that if debating and dissenting meant that they are ‘Urban Naxals’, so be it.

There are hundreds of other tweets with the same hashtag, expressing similar sentiments on social media.

Further, people also accused Vivek of tweeting the initial idea of the list of "Urban Naxals" to promote his book Urban Naxals: The Making of Buddha in a Traffic Jam. He reportedly defines "Urban Naxals" as “urban intellectuals, influencers or activists of importance” who are actually India’s “invisible enemies”. Some of them, Vivek alleges in his book, “have either been caught or are under the police radar for working for the movement and spreading insurgency against the Indian State”.

Meanwhile, people have also pointed out that the counter hashtag to Vivek Agnihotri, may actually end up legitimising the term "Urban Naxals". It was also pointed out that people proudly tweeting with the tag had the privilege to do so, and if that a list was actually made, those without the privilege, would be at highest risk.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com