Another victim of No offense
A 16-year-old queer makeup artist has tragically taken their own life, suspectedly due to online bullying. Even in death, they find no relief.
(Assume all trigger warnings)
I visited Pranshu's Instagram profile after the news of their suicide broke. The pinned post opened with a stark comment: 'Where was all this love when he was alive?' This jarring question stood in contrast to the outpouring of love and support for Pranshu, a 16-year-old queer individual and a makeup artist who tragically ended their life after facing relentless cyberbullying—a consequence of society's deep-seated homophobia.
Even in death, Pranshu finds no relief; trolls persist. A person belonging to the same tribe, who could be better labeled as bullies or moral police, not only poses a futile question but also reflects the collective way of how we Indians have been dealing with online hate—'Bro could have just turned off comments.’
There are hundreds of comments seemingly trivializing Pranshu's struggles, reflecting a deeply ingrained societal tendency to shift blame from perpetrators to victims. This implies that Pranshu was somehow responsible for their own suffering, rather than holding accountable those who inflicted pain upon them.
This victim-blaming mentality is particularly prevalent in cases of online harassment, where the anonymity and perceived distance of the internet often embolden individuals to engage in hurtful behavior without consequences. It creates a culture of silence and fear, deterring victims from speaking up and seeking help.
The mocking comments and insensitive questions about Pranshu's decision to take their own life reflect a profound lack of empathy and understanding. The trolls, trapped in their narrow-minded views of masculinity and gender, failed to grasp the depths of despair that had driven Pranshu to their tragic end.
Preeti Yadav, Pranshu's single mother, is heartbroken by the societal rejection her child had faced. Speaking to Shivangi Saxena, she said:
The irony of a mother’s pride in her child’s self-taught makeup artistry, along with dreams of sending them to Mumbai, now hangs heavy in the air—a cruel mirage of what could have been. Her acceptance of their queer identity, once a source of strength and solace, now echoes with the deafening silence of their absence.
The revelation of Pranshu blocking their judgmental father adds a layer of bitter humor to the tragedy. Her concluding remarks, urging parents to accept their children, ring with irony. The mother, who had embodied this message in her life, now faces the harsh reality of a world that failed to protect her child from the cruel grip of societal norms.
Her grief is a poignant satire of a society that preaches acceptance but fails to practice it. It serves as a heart-wrenching reminder of the irreparable loss caused by intolerance and prejudice. Her words are a wake-up call, a plea for empathy and understanding, a desperate cry for a world where every individual can live their truth without fear or judgment.
The police are investigating the matter. For their inquiry, they have hundreds of thousands of people hiding behind usernames full of underscores and vague display pictures. They can go after each one of them and ask whether they feel any guilt for what they might not consider an offense but rather a daily exercise they perform on the social media playground, making the lives of people who deviate from their binary notion of gender harder and harder.
Instagram has established anti-hate speech and anti-homophobia policies, but there's a glaring issue with their inconsistent enforcement. While they promptly remove hateful, homophobic content in English, similar content in Indian languages is allowed to persist on the platform. What's concerning is that despite reporting such content to Instagram, there has been no action taken, revealing a casual approach to enforcing hate speech policies in the Indian context. The problem extends to Instagram's inadequate response to removing content that targets LGBTQIA+ individuals in India, despite numerous reports. More disconcerting is that, even with detailed reports including regional context, URLs, and the potential harm caused by such content, Instagram remains unresponsive for weeks. This exposes millions of users to content that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals, raising questions about the company's commitment to user safety.
Instagram, once considered a safe space for the queer community in India, has seen a rapid decline in safety, especially after the 2018 Supreme Court ruling on Section 377. The platform, according to the queer community, is not sufficiently addressing these concerns, and some members of the community have even faced repercussions from the social media platform for simply being themselves.
As a society, we have reached a critical juncture where only the tragic death of an individual compels us to reexamine our deep-rooted homophobia, deeply ingrained in our vernacular. The heartbreaking demise of Pranshu serves as an important reminder of the urgent need for a fundamental shift in our approach to cyberbullying. The inadequacy of the current legal framework, with its absence of clear definitions for "hate speech," has enabled these perpetrators to operate with impunity. Their actions, far from being trivial "online pranks," have had devastating consequences, silencing voices and shattering lives.
We, as a society, must collectively stand against cyberbullying and homophobia. It is imperative to educate our children about the perils of such behaviors, fostering a culture of empathy and respect. We must hold social media platforms accountable for the content they facilitate, demanding stricter measures to safeguard users from abuse. We must enact stricter laws to deter cyberbullying and homophobia, ensuring that those who engage in such behavior face tangible consequences.
Pranshu's untimely passing should serve as a clarion call, jolting us to confront the harsh realities of cyberbullying and homophobia. It is a stark reminder that we cannot afford to remain passive in the face of such injustice. Pranshu's life, though tragically cut short, should not be in vain. Their story should serve as a catalyst for change, inspiring us to create a world where every individual feels safe, valued, and respected.
Written by Shivam Tomar