India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri locked his X account on Sunday, May 11 following a barrage of abusive comments by Hindu nationalists in the wake of the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Locking the account prevents others from accessing it and leaving comments. Displeased by the Indian government’s action to de-escalate, right-wing accounts hurled vicious abuses like ‘wimpy traitor’ at the diplomat and his family.
Questioning their patriotism, trolls left comments under Misri’s family photo, targeting his daughter Didon Misri, who has worked in offering legal assistance to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.
At 6 pm on May 10, addressing the media, Misri announced that both Pakistan and India have agreed for a ceasefire. The Foreign Secretary stated that the decision was arrived at after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called on his Indian counterpart at 3.35 pm. “It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 17:00 hours Indian Standard Time,” Misri said.
“Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding. The Director Generals of Military Operations will talk again on the 12th of May at 1200 hours,” he added.
However, the announcement was met with outrage in certain quarters, particularly among Hindu nationalist groups who were demanding a military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed. Instead of targeting the government or political leadership, many online users lashed out at Misri personally and his family.
Trolls particularly singled out the Foreign Secretary’s daughter Didon, a lawyer, for her humanitarian work for Rohingya Muslims as evidence of alleged anti-national leanings.
Condemning the harassment, several journalists and politicians voiced their support for Misri and criticised the government for normalising online harassment.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi defended Misri, describing him as a dedicated and honest diplomat serving the nation under the direction of the elected leadership. He said that civil servants should not be blamed for political decisions.
“Mr Vikram Misri is a decent and an Honest Hard working Diplomat working tirelessly for our Nation. Our Civil Servants work under the Executive this must be remembered & they shouldn’t be blamed for the decisions taken by The Executive /or any Political leadership running Watan E Aziz,” Owaisi wrote.
Journalist Maya Mirchandani called the trolling “horrendous” and “unacceptable,” noting that Misri was simply the messenger of a decision taken by the political leadership. She argued that the abuse was symptomatic of an unchecked culture of online harassment fostered by the ruling government over the years.
“Horrendous, unacceptable trolling of FS Vikram Misri and his family. For what? Making an announcement of a decision that his political masters have made? This is what happens when IT cell abusers go unchecked for years by the country’s leadership. Sickening, really,” she wrote.
“Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri, has done India proud. No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country. If you can’t say thank you, learn to shut up,” said political commentator Salman Anees Soz.
Veteran journalist Vir Sanghvi called the abusers “human garbage” and praised Misri as an outstanding diplomat who had served the country admirably during the recent conflict. He said that those spreading hate only work to weaken the nation. “The people who are trolling Vikram Misri, an outstanding Foreign Secretary, who has done such a terrific job during this conflict, are human garbage. Decent people like Misri work for our country. These hateful, cowardly scum do their best to bring us down,” he wrote.
Along with Colonel Sofiya Qureshi and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Misra emerged as the face of Operation Sindoor with their regular press briefings. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 26 civilians, mostly Indian tourists, were killed in the attack. India’s retaliatory response targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) prompted Pakistan to escalate tensions by attacking India’s military installations and civil areas. However, after three days of intense military standoff, both countries agreed to a ceasefire.