Fiery net war of ideologies

WHEN NEUTRALITY' IS CAUGHT IN THE CROSS FIRE BETWEEN IDEOLOGIES

- Vinay Madhav

Fools rush where angels fear to tread' - Alexander Pope. That's what exactly the new social media ideological war has turned into. Many fear to tread and war is reflected as if it is `National Mood'.

Taking a neutral stand is not easy, especially on social media era. When India tried taking a neutral stand during Russia-Ukraine war, it was hard for the country to define and defend its stand. It had to draw a lot of flak from powerful western countries, which wanted India to toe the lines of NATO. There were a lot of `net war' in defense and against Indian stand on social media, criticizing and abusing each other.

India is a country and it has a system to defend itself, whether in good or bad situation. However, it makes an individual, especially when in public life to tread a neutral path. One has to defend themselves, though a small group may try to comfort you.

That's what exactly baffled me when the controversy over South Indian actor Sai Pallavi broke. I don't remember watching any of her movies. She was under fire by `net warriors' and Bajrang Dal has filed a complaint against her in Hyderabad.

I was curious to know what she said. During an interview for YouTube channel, the actor was asked about the movie, 'The Kashmir Files' and Cow Vigilantism'. The actor said that the oppressed should be protected. Stating that she was brought up with a neutral or secular philosophy, Sai Pallavi said: "I was taught to be a good human being. I was told that the oppressed should be protected. Whether you are left-wing or right-wing, there won't be any justice if you are not a good human being."