[Source/Observer Network Qi Qian] After the latest outbreak of the India-Pakistan conflict, India celebrated victory nationwide. Therefore, when the sudden ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10 left many Indians stunned and angry, believing that the ceasefire would give away the fruits of victory. Overnight, Vikram Misri, the Indian Foreign Secretary (senior civil servant and second-in-command of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), became the target of public criticism and was labeled a "traitor".
According to Indian media The Economic Times, the Wire, and Pakistani media Dawn, after May 10, Vikram Misri immediately faced a wave of online abuse from numerous Indian netizens, and his family members were also affected. As of now, the online abuse has not stopped.
Columnist Mao Kedi of Observer Network pointed out that the deeper reason for this online abuse lies in the "winning narrative" long promoted by the Modi government. He believed that this bizarre event not only exposed the nearly uncontrollable great-power chauvinism sentiment in India but also reflected the great risks and dangerous time bombs hidden in the domestic and foreign policies of the Modi administration.
Indian Diplomat Labeled as "Traitor"
It is reported that as an experienced Indian diplomat, Vikram Misri has always been disliked by extreme Indian nationalists.
After the escalation of the India-Pakistan conflict on May 7, Vikram Misri made some cautious remarks on behalf of the Indian government, including "criticizing the government is a hallmark of democracy," and refuting the news released by the ruling party of India, the People's Party, about the death of terrorists, which caused dissatisfaction among the People's Party and right-wing figures.
After the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Vikram Misri was labeled a "traitor" by right-wing Indian citizens, who believed that the ceasefire "wasted India's military advantage."
After the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Vikram Misri was subjected to online abuse by Indian media
Some netizens left abusive comments under Vikram Misri's social media accounts, calling him "kowtowing to Pakistan." They even dug up old posts about his family and accused his daughter of studying abroad and providing legal aid to Rohingya refugees in Myanmar. It is known that Vikram Misri's daughter once worked at the UN High Commission for Refugees on Myanmar issues.
In the midst of all the abuse, on May 11, Vikram Misri closed his account on the X platform.
Vikram Misri has closed his social account
According to The Hindu, Vikram Misri, aged 61, has worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 36 years, serving in Indian embassies in Brussels, Kabul, Islamabad, etc. From 2019 to 2021, Vikram Misri served as the Indian Ambassador to China, during which he participated in negotiations with India regarding border conflicts, helping to ease tensions. In July 2024, Vikram Misri took office as the Foreign Secretary.
The Hindu stated that Vikram Misri enjoys high prestige in India's diplomatic circle and has received support from many current and former officials.
Indian Media: Online Abuse Has Escalated Out of Control
The Wire referred to these Indian netizens as "Modi supporters" and said that Vikram Misri was not their only target.
It is reported that previously, these netizens launched a vicious personal attack on a soldier's widow simply because she called for "no hatred, no violence." After the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, they turned their attention to Vikram Misri, as if he had unilaterally decided the ceasefire instead of Prime Minister Modi or External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
"These Modi followers cannot let their 'god' take responsibility, so they turn to attacking others," The Wire wrote. "Modi is now fighting against the monsters he created, which will soon turn against him."
The Economic Times referred to these netizens as "India's Bolton" and "warmongers." It is reported that these netizens were infuriated, first blaming the Trump administration for "providing diplomatic cover for so-called Pakistani terrorists," and secondly blaming the Indian leadership for failing to "complete" this work. What infuriated them most was India's military capability, casualties, "China opening another front," and its impact on the Indian economy.
Seeing the public opinion continue to escalate, opposition party officials and government officials in India came forward to strongly support Vikram Misri. For example, Asaduddin Owaisi, chairman of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, claimed that diplomats should not be held accountable for decisions made by political leaders. A spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party said that the behavior toward Vikram Misri was "shocking" and emphasized that this was an act of "right-wing hatred" rather than nationalism.
On May 12, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) issued a statement expressing deep regret over the baseless personal attacks on clean officials. We reiterate our commitment to maintaining the dignity of public service.
Screenshot of the tweet
However, the statement did not calm the anger of these netizens, and the comment section was filled with numerous complaints and doubts. Some questioned why the IAS did not issue statements regarding "accused corruption or professional misconduct" officials.
Screenshot (same as above)
Others bluntly said: "We will not believe those Indian administrative officials whose children and families have settled overseas and have no connection to India's future. The IAS is like a soulless conspiracy group that does not care about India's security and future."
Scholar: Modi Has Buried Himself a Time Bomb
Since the early morning of May 7, the Pakistani side has repeatedly announced the shooting down of five Indian military aircraft, including three French-made "Rafales", one Su-30MKI, and one MiG-29 fighter jets. So far, India has either denied or refused to comment, only saying that it would "release combat loss information at the appropriate time."
Afterwards, the tense situation between India and Pakistan continued to escalate. On the morning of May 10, India attacked facilities such as the Nur Khan Airbase in Pakistan. On the same day, Pakistan officially launched a military operation codenamed "Iron Wall" in response to India's continuous provocations, aiming to "combat Indian terrorism, ensure internal stability, and sovereignty of Pakistan."
Pakistani troops displayed and compared images of aircraft debris circulating online with India's "Rafale" to emphasize the credibility of their kill results
On May 10, India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire agreement, agreeing to cease fire immediately. On May 13, both sides expelled each other's diplomatic officials, listing each other's personnel as "persona non grata," accusing them of engaging in activities inconsistent with their official status, and requiring them to leave within 24 hours.
Although the recent India-Pakistan military conflict was brief, the war losses of both sides attracted global media attention during this period.
On May 12, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the Indian army in a national speech, claiming that "the world witnessed how Pakistan's drones and missiles were as fragile as straws before India, and India's powerful air defense system was about to destroy them in the air." Afterwards, India held grand celebratory events nationwide from May 13 to May 23.
Nationwide celebrations were held across India, to the point where American media could not bear it anymore. According to a May 17 report by The New York Times, after suffering setbacks in its conflict with Pakistan, India's internet was flooded with a large number of "victory-like fake news," including false messages, meme pictures (similar to Chinese internet culture emoticons), misleading short videos, AI-published posts, etc.
It is more worrying than the widespread dissemination of fake news that in the past, such content was mainly spread on social platforms lacking verification mechanisms, but now many mainstream Indian media outlets are also reporting these fake news stories.
Columnist Mao Kedi of Observer Network mentioned that interestingly, the Modi government chose not to clarify the real reasons behind the ceasefire in response to speculation from outside, nor did it respond positively to Trump's "mediation" remarks. Instead, it adopted a laissez-faire attitude, allowing various speculations to continue fermenting, attempting to maintain the "winning narrative" and reap political benefits from it.
Mao Kedi said that this approach inevitably leads to the widespread spread of mistrust and conspiracy theories. That is why frontline diplomats have been pushed to the forefront of public opinion, becoming objects for "patriotic netizens" to vent their emotions, while personal information such as their family members' addresses and phone numbers have been maliciously exposed.
He believed that this confusing event not only exposed the nearly uncontrollable great-power chauvinism sentiment in India but also reflected the great risks hidden in the domestic and foreign policies of the Modi administration.
Mao Kedi said that the deeper reason for this online abuse incident lies in the "winning narrative" long promoted by the Modi government. Since coming to power in 2014, the Modi government has successfully shaped the image of a "strong India" through high-profile promotion of military victories and diplomatic achievements. Although this narrative can temporarily rally public opinion and boost the popularity of the Modi government in the short term, it has buried extremely dangerous time bombs.
This article is an exclusive contribution from Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506882160985489961/
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