How Change.org is being used to peddle propaganda

Change.org is an American organisation that hosts online campaigns and petitions. The website boasts more than 100 million users from 196 countries. The petitions and campaigns on the website have, since its inception in 2007, managed to bring social change all over the world.

Even in India, Change.org has seen many victories. But for every good, meaningful campaign, out there to make positive social change and create welfare, there are 10 stupid ones that are conceived in malice and, more often than not, wilful ignorance.

The platform has been used for quite some time - as is the inherent nature of the internet and social media - to peddle propaganda and push narratives that are intended, not for the betterment of people, but to harm a section of them. Of course that is not the fault of the platform itself.

From caste-ignorant petitions, to religious propaganda, here are a few examples of how Change.org is being used to peddle meaningless outrage:

1) A petition to shut down the “blasphemous" Goregaon Social

According to Scroll.in, the Watchdog Foundation, claiming to represent Christian interests, filed a police complaint against the owner of Goregaon Social, a pub in suburban Mumbai, on the grounds that the establishment's interior decoration is blasphemous.

The petition read: “Outrageous depiction of various Saints and religious items from the Holy Book Bible at a Pub named 'Goregaon Social' at Oberoi Mall, Goregaon (East), Mumbai. Shocking to notice an outrageous depiction of various Saints and religious items from the Holy Book Bible, which is nothing short of blasphemy to Christianity.”

The Archdiocese of Bombay also issued an official press statement on Wednesday condemning the restaurant for hurting religious sentiments.

2) A petition to declare the "General" category's salary tax-free

Of course it is wrong to assume that a country still oblivious to it's deeply entrenched casteist values and traditions would come even close to understanding the importance and necessity of caste-based reservation, but this petitions touches new levels of ridiculousness. The petition says: "If we (generals) are forced to pay extra from other castes, need to get extra marks to pass the class, and are offered limited seats due to our caste then you have to free us from income tax."

If we are to begin a caste debate, this monologue is likely to stretch for hours; hence here is the shorter argument: lower castes have been oppressed for centuries. The "extra opportunity" they are given is not to make the upper castes suffer for their actions, but to bring them both on an even surface.

Privilege, which is present in toxic doses, in the upper castes makes them blind to the ongoing oppression of Dalits. But as has been mentioned before, it is too much to expect compassion in this nation. Incidentally, this petition has close to 50,000 signatures. It wouldn't be surprising if it had 50 lakh.

3) A petition to imprison "anti-national" students of JNU for 10 years

This is not surprising at all. Considering the amount of in-your-face nationalism and patriotism that has plagued our nation since the rise of Lord Voldemort, this is a normal byproduct. The 7,000 people that signed this petition believe "these students should be punished strongly" lest they impact the peace and harmony within our nation that is being maintained happily by trishul-happy gau rakshaks. 

4) What exactly is our insane fixation with cows?

Okay, sure. The cow is sacred in Hinduism. But to want to declare all cows the national animal is stretching it too far. Then again, considering the number of people who get thrashed, arrested, beaten up, lynched and killed for transferring cattle, or supposedly eating cows, they already are the de facto national animal in India. The 25,000 people who signed this petition need to worry.

5) A petition to stop "Pakistani support" media

Of all the supposed bikau-media stars and the jholachhap "presstitutes", Barkha Dutt of NDTV manages to have the biggest chunk of affection from rabid nationalist and Sanghi trolls. She gets abused online on a daily basis. She gets death and rape threats (for which she has never been given any kind of government-stamped security) and she even has the gaze of the great Arnab Goswami.

All that she needs now is a way where people could rally for her to be arrested and legally "taken care of", lest death threats fail to achieve their mark. Oh wait.

"These mediapersons should be monitored and if they directly or indirectly support anti-nationalists they should be charged with treason. Also Barkha Dutt should be charged immediately for what she did through her news," says this lovely petition signed by the lovely people who believe in freedom of speech only when they get to hurl abuses at those who disagree with Narendra Modi, from time to time. 

6) Everything is sedition

Remember last year when BJP accused Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Salman Khurshid of behaving like ISI, IS or Taliban "propagandists"? Aiyar had caused a bit of controversy by reportedly saying, during a panel discussion on a Pakistani news channel, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to be removed if talks between the two nations have to resume. Khurshid had criticised the NDA government for adopting a tough stand towards Pakistan.

Obviously, criticism doesn't go down well with neither the government, nor its fans. Aiyar's comments may not have been in good taste. Nor were they probably very intelligent. But the 20,000 people who signed this petition think that these comments amount to sedition. Yep.

Then again, if they think a bunch of students protesting against something is sedition, or an Indian supporting Pakistan in an ODI is sedition, then this definitely is. 

Also read - A Twitter troll has launched a vicious campaign against liberals and journalists