This image was posted on Facebook by Shruti Seth Aslam
New Delhi:
It's been a long and painful week for actress Shruti Seth who has been battling a barrage of hate-filled tweets since Monday.
It began with a hashtag. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign in his Sunday radio address Mann Ki Baat, Shruti put out tweets of her own (now deleted) asking that PM Modi 'be more than a photograph.' The backlash was instant and venomous.
The 37-year-old actress was abused and accused of treason. On Thursday, she wrote a lengthy note posted on Twitter in which she described the relentless trolling as 'the floodgates of Hell being opened.'
Shruti, married to director Danish Aslam, is a familiar face from TV show Shararat and films like Fanaa. As reports emerged of Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his supporters on social media to promote civil debates an steer clear of abuse, she spoke to NDTV.com via email:
NDTV.com: When the hate-filled tweets aimed at you began coming in, what were your first reactions? At what point did you begin responding to the trolls?
Seth: I've always been amazed at the shameless and unabashed use of slanderous language by people on Twitter. If anyone expresses an opinion that is not in tandem with theirs, they will use every possible personal attack they can find and use it against you. Mostly, people stay quiet because they don't wish to stoop so low and engage with the trolls which ends up giving them a sense of power. I was done with being silent and taking the abuse, which is when I decided to give it back.
NDTV.com: In your Twitter note, you described the past few days as "48 hours of non stop trolling.' Do you think the abuse would have died down if you hadn't responded to the comments?
Seth: Like I said I will not be silenced by mindless trolls for having an opinion. Ever. There is a limit till someone can ignore idiocy after that you have to call them out on their bullshit.
NDTV.com: Aside from the name calling and the more absurd comments, how do you respond to being accused of seeking publicity, something actors are commonly charged with?
Seth: If I needed publicity, I would employ a publicist. I did not have to go through all the abuse for getting famous on Twitter. If the issue has received media attention, it is because no one ever says what they feel in our country. Everyone is too busy maintaining a public image. And as a woman, regardless of my profession, I have every right to speak my mind and express an opinion and that thankfully got highlighted with this entire issue.
NDTV.com: Others on Twitter also criticized the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign. Why were you and Kavita Krishnan (the activist was also trolled) singled out for this torrent of abuse? What do you think it says about us?
Seth: I committed the cardinal sin of questioning the Prime Minister's initiative. As did Kavita Krishnan. That is what we were punished for. People need to be reminded that we are a democratic country.
NDTV.com: In one of your final tweets on the subject, you write "Stop with all the fighting; I've already won." Do you believe that you've been able to make a dent in the haters?
Seth: No. Some people just want to watch the world burn. Their lives and actions are governed by hate. What I did manage to do was get all those who believe that women should be treated with respect to stand up and voice their support. For me, that was winning.
NDTV.com: Are you considering legal action or police protection?
Seth: I don't think they deserve that much time and effort. The police has more important things to attend to. I'm a big girl, I can handle a couple of trolls by myself.
NDTV.com: Why did you delete your original tweets?
Seth: Because at one point the backlash became too much and for that moment I felt very alone. Also there was a tinge of fear that they may take it a little too far and actually consider physical harm. Such is the state of Internet harassment in our country. Soon after I deleted my tweets I received a barrage of supportive messages from friends and people on Twitter that give me the will to continue fighting. Sadly, I couldn't undo my deletion. But I stand by what I said.
NDTV.com: You've also received some very warm encouragement from several quarters. Someone on Twitter described you as a 'boss.' How do you respond to that?
Seth: I'm so glad I decided to fight because the love that has poured in outnumbers the hatred a thousand fold. I hope more people, especially women, find courage to hit back and not get bullied by these pathetic souls. I hope my parents and my husband and my daughter are proud of my actions. That's all that matters to me. And I'd like to say a big thank you to all those on Twitter who stood by me. Thank you for all the love.
It began with a hashtag. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi endorsed the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign in his Sunday radio address Mann Ki Baat, Shruti put out tweets of her own (now deleted) asking that PM Modi 'be more than a photograph.' The backlash was instant and venomous.
The 37-year-old actress was abused and accused of treason. On Thursday, she wrote a lengthy note posted on Twitter in which she described the relentless trolling as 'the floodgates of Hell being opened.'
Shruti, married to director Danish Aslam, is a familiar face from TV show Shararat and films like Fanaa. As reports emerged of Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging his supporters on social media to promote civil debates an steer clear of abuse, she spoke to NDTV.com via email:
NDTV.com: When the hate-filled tweets aimed at you began coming in, what were your first reactions? At what point did you begin responding to the trolls?
Seth: I've always been amazed at the shameless and unabashed use of slanderous language by people on Twitter. If anyone expresses an opinion that is not in tandem with theirs, they will use every possible personal attack they can find and use it against you. Mostly, people stay quiet because they don't wish to stoop so low and engage with the trolls which ends up giving them a sense of power. I was done with being silent and taking the abuse, which is when I decided to give it back.
NDTV.com: In your Twitter note, you described the past few days as "48 hours of non stop trolling.' Do you think the abuse would have died down if you hadn't responded to the comments?
Seth: Like I said I will not be silenced by mindless trolls for having an opinion. Ever. There is a limit till someone can ignore idiocy after that you have to call them out on their bullshit.
NDTV.com: Aside from the name calling and the more absurd comments, how do you respond to being accused of seeking publicity, something actors are commonly charged with?
Seth: If I needed publicity, I would employ a publicist. I did not have to go through all the abuse for getting famous on Twitter. If the issue has received media attention, it is because no one ever says what they feel in our country. Everyone is too busy maintaining a public image. And as a woman, regardless of my profession, I have every right to speak my mind and express an opinion and that thankfully got highlighted with this entire issue.
NDTV.com: Others on Twitter also criticized the #SelfieWithDaughter campaign. Why were you and Kavita Krishnan (the activist was also trolled) singled out for this torrent of abuse? What do you think it says about us?
Seth: I committed the cardinal sin of questioning the Prime Minister's initiative. As did Kavita Krishnan. That is what we were punished for. People need to be reminded that we are a democratic country.
NDTV.com: In one of your final tweets on the subject, you write "Stop with all the fighting; I've already won." Do you believe that you've been able to make a dent in the haters?
Seth: No. Some people just want to watch the world burn. Their lives and actions are governed by hate. What I did manage to do was get all those who believe that women should be treated with respect to stand up and voice their support. For me, that was winning.
NDTV.com: Are you considering legal action or police protection?
Seth: I don't think they deserve that much time and effort. The police has more important things to attend to. I'm a big girl, I can handle a couple of trolls by myself.
NDTV.com: Why did you delete your original tweets?
Seth: Because at one point the backlash became too much and for that moment I felt very alone. Also there was a tinge of fear that they may take it a little too far and actually consider physical harm. Such is the state of Internet harassment in our country. Soon after I deleted my tweets I received a barrage of supportive messages from friends and people on Twitter that give me the will to continue fighting. Sadly, I couldn't undo my deletion. But I stand by what I said.
NDTV.com: You've also received some very warm encouragement from several quarters. Someone on Twitter described you as a 'boss.' How do you respond to that?
Seth: I'm so glad I decided to fight because the love that has poured in outnumbers the hatred a thousand fold. I hope more people, especially women, find courage to hit back and not get bullied by these pathetic souls. I hope my parents and my husband and my daughter are proud of my actions. That's all that matters to me. And I'd like to say a big thank you to all those on Twitter who stood by me. Thank you for all the love.
