#MeTooUrbanNaxal goes viral on social media
New Delhi August 29.
A day after five rights activists were arrested for their alleged links with Maoists, a#MeTooUrbanNaxal movement went viral on social media.
A large number of people joined the social media movement while supporting the arrested activists and hitting out at the Union Government for creating an alleged emergency-like situation.
The raids were carried out as part of a probe into the violence between Dalits and the upper caste Peshwas at Koregaon-Bhima village near Pune after an event called Elgar Parishad, or conclave, on December 31 last year.
Prateek Sinha, Co-founder of Alt News, on Facebook wrote: “You know how the term ‘anti-national’ doesn’t stick anymore. It was because all of us of a certain ideological bent started jokingly referring to ourselves as anti-nationals in many of our conversations and reduced it into a joke. It was no longer derogatory, it was a joke. So they needed a new phrase and which is what is ‘Urban Naxals’. We cannot let these Hitler’s grandchildren and great grandchildren target specific people with that phrase. So let’s reduce it to a joke. Let’s all proclaim that we are all ‘Urban Naxals’. #MeTooUrbanNaxal, what about you?”
You know how the term 'anti-national' doesn't stick anymore. It was because all of us of a certain ideological bent…
Posted by Pratik Sinha on Tuesday, August 28, 2018
The hashtag was created after another user Vivek Agnihotri took a dig at those criticising the arrest.
He wrote on Twitter: “I want some bright young people to make a list of all those who are defending #UrbanNaxals Let’s see where it leads. If you want to volunteer with commitment, pl DM me. @squintneon would you like to take the lead?”
I want some bright young people to make a list of all those who are defending #UrbanNaxals Let’s see where it leads. If you want to volunteer with commitment, pl DM me. @squintneon would you like to take the lead?
— Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) August 28, 2018
Within minutes a counter hashtag #MeTooUrbanNaxal started trending. Archana Bhardwaj tweeted, “If asking the questions, or standing up for humanity and freedom of speech makes me an urban Naxal… then I’m proud to be one #MeTooUrbanNaxal”
If asking the questions, or standing up for humanity and freedom of speech makes me an urban Naxal… then I’m proud to be one #MeTooUrbanNaxal
— Archana ? (@archieroolz) August 29, 2018
If standing for Tribals & Dalit's is naxalism, #MetooUrbanNaxal
Arrest me….— Prasant Ku Ranasingh (@pkranasingh) August 29, 2018
https://twitter.com/heartbharat/status/1034650118694129664
I would be proud to be jailed with those arrested yesterday. They are all outstanding citizens of the country and if dissent is a crime #MeTooUrbanNaxal https://t.co/UGWHG9kMXN
— Arpita Chatterjee (@arpitachatter) August 29, 2018
Lead Image Courtesy The Times of India
