Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, found himself in the middle of a major controversy after a photograph of him holding a placard reading ‘Smash Brahminical Patriarchy’ surfaced online recently.
The Twitter CEO, on his maiden trip to India, interacted with a group of woman journalists, activists and writers to discuss the Twitter experience in India.
The image in which he stands beside journalists Barkha Dutt, Anna M.M. Vetticad and Nilanjana Roy among others, went viral with leading to an outrage on the microblogging site.
Several Twitter users accused Dorsey of hate-mongering and hurting sentiments.
Tomorrow if @jack is given a poster with anti Semitic messages in a meeting will his team allow him to hold it up? Why is that any different? Inciting hate against any community is wrong @Twitter @TwitterIndia https://t.co/TeBnOGYNIT
— Mohandas Pai (@TVMohandasPai) November 19, 2018
By holding that offensive poster #Twitter head @jack just proclaimed he is a Brahmin hating, racist, bigot, masquerading as a woke Feminist. And he came to India to play politics. At least the pretence is over. pic.twitter.com/5FlFHMsIxp
— Smita Barooah (@smitabarooah) November 19, 2018
Why @jack? Yes, patriarchy is a major problem which women in India are pushing back on a daily basis to the best of their capabilities. Why align with any group? Disappointed. https://t.co/vKoxrbq1ds
— Chitra Subramaniam (@chitraSD) November 19, 2018
Dear @jack maybe your team didn’t feel necessary to tell you this but the poster you are holding targets using the language of hate and violence people who constitute 5% or less of India’s 1.3 bln ppl. If that’s not hatred towards minorities, what is? Would you do this in the US? pic.twitter.com/z6OKFR82MT
— HindolSengupta (@HindolSengupta) November 19, 2018
The micro-blogging site was forced to issue a statement, clarifying the incident.
Recently we hosted a closed door discussion with a group of women journalists and change makers from India to better understand their experience using Twitter._One of the participants, a Dalit activist, shared her personal experiences and gifted a poster to Jack. https://t.co/96gd3XmFgK
— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) November 19, 2018
It is not a statement from Twitter or our CEO, but a tangible reflection of our company’s efforts to see, hear, and understand all sides of important public conversations that_happen on our service around the world.
— Twitter India (@TwitterIndia) November 19, 2018
Meanwhile, the twitter user who gifted the poster to Doresy came out in his support and said the Hindutva trolls are having a meltdown over her poster that calls for an end to caste apartheid
Apparently #hindutva trolls are having a meltdown over my posters on #Endcasteapartheid and #Smashbrahmincalpatriarchy because @jack was gifted one of them from a #Dalit activist that was present. @twitterindia https://t.co/akzhupMh1K pic.twitter.com/l3YKnhweoz
— Dalit Diva (@dalitdiva) November 19, 2018
There were a few Twitter voices that came out in defence of Dorsey
Why are people outraging against twitter’s campaign to smash brahminical patriarchy? It only refers to a culture where discriminatory notions of purity, pollution, and inherent hierarchy prevail. What is wrong in opposing something like that?
— Vasudha Venugopal (@vasudha_ET) November 19, 2018
Why are people outraging against twitter’s campaign to smash brahminical patriarchy? It only refers to a culture where discriminatory notions of purity, pollution, and inherent hierarchy prevail. What is wrong in opposing something like that?
— Vasudha Venugopal (@vasudha_ET) November 19, 2018
