Vismaya Mohanlal, other Malayalam actors face cyberattack over support to Jantar Mantar protests

Actor Vismaya Mohanlal, Mohanlal’s daughter, as well as other Malayalam film stars who extended support to the anti-government student agitation at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, have been facing vicious cyberattacks on social media platforms, especially Facebook.

Earlier this week, Vismaya had re-posted a story on her Instagram feed, condemning the Delhi Police’s actions to ‘suppress’ student protests led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over NEET paper leak and examination reforms.

“Tear gas. Lathi charges. Students injured. Roads blocked. Metro stations closed. Heavy barricading across the city. Internet suspension. You don’t have to agree with the protesters. You don’t have to support their demands. You don’t even have to like the organisations involved. But if the response to citizens raising their voices is overwhelming force instead of dialogue, every one of us should stop and ask what kind of democracy we are becoming. Because tomorrow, it could be you asking to be heard. Your city. Your neighbourhood. Your own family,” the post read. 

The post ended with the line: “My question to all of you is simple: Do you genuinely believe this is how a democracy should respond to its own citizens.”

After the post went viral, some of the older posts on her Facebook page were flooded with hundreds of abusive comments. Some of the comments connected her comments at this juncture to the release of her upcoming debut film Thudakkam. 

“You can ask your father about Prithviraj’s plight before making such comments,” read one of the comments, referring to the abusive attacks. Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran had faced flak after making public comments on political issues in the past.

Some of the other comments resorted to whataboutery, questioning her silence on various other issues, while others vowed never to watch her films. The abusive comments were lesser on her Instagram page compared to the Facebook page, a possible reflection of the different age profiles of the users of both platforms. 

Actor Tovino Thomas, who is also at the receiving end of cyberattack, had criticised the way the Delhi Police had handled the protests. 

“When the future generation of a nation speaks up, and their voices are met with repressive force, it is the future itself that is being stamped down. It is faith in democracy that is being drained away. What did these students do wrong? Did they destroy property? Did they resort to violence? What exactly did they do to deserve this treatment? To every person protesting for a just cause, peacefully, in any part of our country, I extend my wholehearted solidarity. The right to dissent is not a threat to democracy; in fact it is one of its foundations,” he wrote. 

He also rejected those who question his sense of nationalism. “I know myself better than you do. My politics is humanity. My belief is peace,” he wrote. 

Some of the comments against Mr. Thomas were of a communal nature. 

Last week, actor Parvathy Thiruvothu had also faced cyberattack after she had made comments critical of the way educationist Sonam Wangchuk was shifted to a hospital from the protest site where he had been on an indefinite hunger strike. Ms. Thiruvothu called the act an “abduction of our rights”.

“Abduction of our voices. When the protectors become the abusers, we better remind them that we will never let OUR India be run by crooks and liars. Solidarity and support to the brave citizens at Jantar Mantar and across the country,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Popular anchor Ranjini Haridas also faced severe cyberattack after she visited Jantar Mantar to express solidarity with the students two days ago. 

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader B. Gopalakrishnan was among those who made derogatory comments against her.