Arathi, who is the daughter of one of the victims in the recent Pahalgam terror attack, has been targeted by vicious online bullying after she expressed her gratitude towards the Kashmiri men who helped her. Although Arathi went through tremendous trauma, she decided to stress the niceness and humanity demonstrated by local Kashmiris in the grim incident. However, her thankfulness gave rise to a spate of cyberbullying on various social networking platforms.
In a poignant Facebook post, Arathi explained how many Kashmiri villagers risked their lives to assist her and others who were trapped in the attack without hesitation. She underscored that there is more humanity than religion and politics, and the need for people to stand as one against violence. Her posting, meant to inject hope and solidarity, unfortunately drew trolls who suspected her of being insensitive to the threat of terror.
Most social media users came out to support Arathi, denouncing the hate that she was subjected to and praising her for displaying courage and compassion at a time of personal grief. Civil rights organizations and public personalities have also called on the authorities to act against the perpetrators of the online bullying, calling for tougher cyberbullying laws to safeguard victims who speak up.
This event brings to light the increasing problem of online toxicity, particularly when victims of violence decide to concentrate on good human relationships. Arathi’s story reminds everyone about the importance of empathy and proper online conduct in a world where we are already divided by war.
