Munmun Dutta & Yuvika Chaudhary’s cases are proof that we should learn Social Media Etiquette
India Won’t tolerate Casteist Slur anymore: Learn Social Media Etiquette Right Away!
#ArrestYuvikaChaudhary is trending on Twitter and people are demanding to arrest her over her casteist slur in her new vlog which also featured her husband, Prince Narula. However, the actress has issued an apology and said that she didn’t know the meaning. A couple of days back, Tarak Ka Ooltah Chasma fame Munmum Dutta was also spotted using the same remark in a video & which led to a lot of controversies. After her comment came into the public domain, it invited a lot of backlashes. Later, she issued an apology and blamed the language barrier for her ignorance. Well, both the incidents have proved that it’s high time we all should learn social media etiquette, especially when you are a public figure.
In fact, this is not the first when a celebrity has come under fire over a casteist slur. Before this, many such incidents were reported. Last year, during a live chat cricketer Yuvraj Singh also got embroiled in a similar controversy after calling Yuvzendra Chahal “Yeh Bhangi Logon ko Kaam nhi hai”. After that, he drew a lot of flak and #MaafiMangoYurvraj was all over the internet. In 2017, Salman Khan and Shilpa Shetty too faced backlash on the internet on similar comments. The former called his dancing style as “Bhangi dancing style”, the latter used the word to describe how she looked at home.
Without any further delay, let us take a look at things that should be kept in mind before you post anything on social media!
At least know the meaning of words you are using in any vlog or post
Okay! Both the ladies said that they didn’t want to hurt anyone and blamed their language barrier. Well, in that case, it is advisable to always read and understand the meaning of each and every word that you are using. One wrong word can hurt the sentiments of millions. If you are a public figure, people expect responsible behaviour. In fact, using words like ‘Chamar’ may be seen as a punishable offence under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Act, 1989.
Think Before Posting
Social media is a virtual world and people keep sharing content on different social media sites. But is it okay to post too much content? Think before posting. Not every video or photo is not supposed to be posted. A lot of times your words can get misinterpreted so keep a check on the content that you are posting.
Verify things before sharing
You can’t escape just by saying I didn’t know the meaning or I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, especially if you are a public figure. Your one statement or post can hurt many sentiments. Before associating with anyone or promoting any particular or post, one should verify it. Today, social media is a powerful tool. One fake or wrong post can cause unrest in the nation.
Indians have to stop using Casteist slurs because it is derogatory
Notably, the term Bhangi earlier was not specifically a caste but it was used for people who used to clean toilets. According to a social activist Bezwada Wilson, cleaning human excreta is not only seen as derogatory but is also related to untouchability. There are many who are involved in manual scavenging who were called bhangi. Gradually, this term became derogatory. People don’t realise how problematic it could be to use such slurs. Usage of such words shows our negligence towards a particular form of labours. It is high time that we should understand what should be used on the internet. We should not normalise slurs like Bhangi even with our friends or family. We need to debate more on the caste system and should make people aware that one wrong word can hurt many. It is important to respect all form of labours.
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