#GoToPakistan?

A few days back, I ran into my father as I came down for breakfast in the morning. He had read my first article, which I had published only a couple of days ago. I had a hunch that he would have something to say about it, and indeed he had. He told me that while he appreciated my opinion, it wasn't prudent for me to publicize it the way I had. "It's all well and good for someone sitting in America or Europe to write a piece like yours," he said, "but doing so from within the country is dangerous." He cited the example of Anand Teltumbde, a man who was arrested on false charges for speaking against the government and right-wing activists. "Stick your head down for now, and when after a few years you sit in one of those nations where the freedom of speech and expression is more than a mere phrase, then you can do as you please." That was his advice.

I came away from this conversation with sadness in my heart. A father feeling the need to warn his son about expressing his opinions would not be out of place in a country like China or Saudi Arabia, but it didn't feel right here. My father was an SFI leader when he was in college, and he has had experiences of professors taking out grudges against him for championing ideas that they could not accept. That was perhaps the worst he had to face then (excluding temporary discomforts from lathis). Today, however, pissing off professors will be the least of your worries, my father seemed to be telling me.

It is not difficult to understand the origins of his concern, given the current political and social situation in India. People are justifiably reluctant to air opinions that go against the government's propaganda, lest they incur trouble. It is worth noting that according to the 2020 World Press Freedom Index, India is ranked below countries like Afghanistan (with a dysfunctional democracy) and the UAE (which is not a democracy). Granted, India has never been great at ensuring press freedoms, but it is safe to say that things have never been worse.

Let me hit this point home with an example. Suppose that there's this Indian citizen who thinks that we shouldn't hold on to Kashmir by force. She believes that Kashmiris have a right to decide their own fate, and that if keeping them peaceful would require the government to suspend internet access for 7 months straight, then that probably is a good indicator of their preferences. These are hypothetical beliefs of a hypothetical person, mind you. Now imagine what would happen if she aired her thoughts on, say, Twitter. Maybe you don't have to imagine, because you might've heard of similar cases. A whole throng of people will soon be on her tail, hell-bent on ripping her a new one. An opinion like this would be seen as nothing short of treasonous, and #GoToPakistan and others along the same lines will be trending in replies.

Kashmir is not the only issue where differing opinions are shot down. If you'd like to see evidence for India's claimed surgical strike of 2016, #GoToPakistan. You quote SRK and say there's 'extreme intolerance' here, #GoToPakistan. You protest against the CAA, #GoToPakistan. You don't like Goswami Ji, guess what? #GoToPakistan. You get the idea. The list (minus that last one, maybe) is longer than I'd like to admit.

In times like these, it would appear daunting to share your opinion. I know it bothers me, without a doubt. What to say and how to say it is a difficult question that we'll all need to grapple with, and we'll all probably end up with different answers, too. But always keep in mind that contending with the bleak realities of the world we live in does not mean that we should not stay true to who we are or what we believe in. I'm optimistic that whatever we have to say, we can always find ways to say it, provided we are occasionally willing to trade the directness of a sledgehammer for something more subtle. I suppose we'll soon find out if that hope is misplaced.