Post-Pahalgam trolling raises questions about our moral compass

Vikram Misri (left) and Himanshi Narwal became targets of shameful trolling which reveals the growing normalisation of hate campaigns.

In an era dominated by digital discourse, social media often becomes a platform for persecution rather than a tool for empowerment. The recent toxic trolling of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Himanshi Narwal, the widow of a Navy officer killed in the Pahalgam terror strike, reflects a deeply disturbing truth about hate campaigns in today’s India - they often operate with a complete absence of a moral compass.

In the space of barely a week, Misri and Himanshi became targets of shameful trolling which reveals the growing normalisation of hate campaigns and their moral bankruptcy in today’s India. Beneath the memes, hashtags, and vitriolic comments lie a pattern of vicious behaviour that depicts deeper fractures in society - around gender, religion, politics, and nationalism.

Attacks on Misri

Over the past weekend, Misri faced a barrage of abusive attacks from online trolls angered at the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. The online abuse and doxxing began soon after Pakistan violated the ceasefire agreement on Saturday night which triggered a sharp backlash over the government’s handling of the situation.

Insults such as ‘Traitor’, ‘Gaddar’ and ‘Deshdrohi’ were hurled at Misri and many accused the diplomat of even “selling the country.” Laced with foul language and personal taunts, most online attackers blamed him for India’s agreement with Pakistan to stop military action.

Even Misri’s family was not spared from vile abuse. A section of hate-mongers targeting him, not only made Misri’s phone number public but also the contact details of his family members.

So ferocious was the online abuse that Misri finally locked his X account, which has been active much before he became Foreign Secretary! In a country where even the top diplomat’s account is now unsafe, one wonders how the rights and dignity of the common citizen will be safeguarded.

Mercifully, some politicians and former diplomats came out in support of the Foreign Secretary. They defended Misri from the hate brigade by pointing out that the diplomat was only conveying a decision taken by the political elite in government.

Hounding of Himanshi Narwal

The Misri episode, however, is no isolated event. Days earlier, Himanshi Narwal, the widow of Navy officer Vinay Narwal who was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam, was the target of a similarly toxic campaign. Initially, heart-rending images of Himanshi sitting beside her husband’s body, had made her the face of the Pahalgam tragedy. But her appeal for peace soon turned the tide.

Countless trolls attacked Himanshi after she asked people not to target Muslims and Kashmiris for her tragic loss. She remarked, "We don’t want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris. We want peace and justice. Only people who wronged him should be punished."

With every detail of her life being scrutinised/slandered, Narwal went from being a symbol of national grief to a hapless target of intense hate. Many even mocked her loss in a bid to discredit a woman who had bravely spoken for unity at a time when she had just lost the most precious person of her life.

Though the National Commission of Women and some politicians condemned the trolling against Himanshi, action against the culprits remains missing. While terrorists killed her husband, toxic trolls indulged in Himanshi’s character assassination in a new low which signifies that even a martyr’s widow can be hounded to serve the hate campaigns of today.

Trolling reflects our moral decline

Taken together, the Misri-Himanshi episodes reflect a grave moral decline. The cruelty of the trolling - laden with misogyny, moral judgment, and character assassination - reveals a frightening erosion of basic humanity. Civilized societies adhere to certain norms of behaviour, even in times of conflict. There is an unspoken understanding that certain targets, like those performing key roles or those in acute grief are off-limits.

Attacks on Misri-Himanshi represent an abandonment of these norms and indicate a breakdown in societal morality. Their trolling, especially the deeply personal and misogynistic attacks, reflects a rejection of basic human decency. It suggests a moral descent wherein inflicting pain is not only acceptable but, in a twisted way, considered justifiable.

At the heart of this attack lies a shocking monopolisation of patriotism by online mobs. In this new orthodoxy, even a martyr’s widow must conform to a narrow, jingoistic narrative - or face erasure and abuse. The venom against Misri-Himanshi shows how “nationalism” today is not about respect for service or sacrifice but a submission to slogans. Any perceived deviation - no matter how mild or misunderstood - is slammed as a betrayal.

Over the past decade, this hate-filled online mob has faced no consequences for its attacks on activists, academics, journalists and anyone not baying for blood in the name of their version of nationalism.

Now, if a distinguished diplomat or a martyr's widow can be hounded, then who is safe?

This is the central moral question confronting India today. The Misri-Himanshi episode is not just about regulating social media or punishing trolls. It is about restoring a basic moral order. Unless we act - as citizens, as platforms, as institutions - to push back against this tide, we risk becoming a society where cruelty is condoned and hate becomes the defining symbol of our nationalism.