Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi¡¯s olive branch to the young people behind India¡¯s biggest student-led protests in years has done little to stem the online abuse and police action many participants say they continue to face.
One of them is Sakhi, a 22-year-old activist who goes only by their first name and uses they/them pronouns. During the height of the protests two weeks ago, when tens of thousands of students took to the streets of New Delhi, Sakhi posted satirical Instagram reels mocking what they described as the Modi government¡¯s authoritarian rule. Sakhi also poked fun at the Delhi police in videos posted after its harsh crackdown on protesters.
In the days that followed, some of Sakhi¡¯s videos were restricted in India by the platform, while they said they were inundated with death and rape threats online. Many of the messages threatened sexual violence, mocked their gender identity or body-shamed them. Others condemned Sakhi for insulting the prime minister. The identities of the accounts behind the messages?could not independently verified.
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