The worst pandemic of the last 100 years is engulfing India. People are dying like mosquitos. Not *one* major Indian celebrity - film stars, cricketers,et. al - otherwise highly active on Twitter with millions of followers *worldwide* have tweeted about it. Not one. (1/n)
Think about it. Why are these worthies - otherwise tweeting all day long - not managing a word of support or condolence for their gasping countrymen? It has been at least 2 weeks of mayhem. Indian social media is full of requests for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, etc. (2/n)
Why have no major celebrities - superstars with global followings like @SrBachchan @sachin_rt @iamsrk @iHrithik @imVkohli - tweeted anything, amplified anything, reassured the people ? Why this concerted radio silence on Twitter? Think about it.
India is today ruled by a fascistic cult headed by Narendra Modi, which ruthlessly exerts total control over all popular forms of public broadcasting & information. Modi's billionaire cronies bankroll vast spectacles & PR campaigns, and have taken over the media (4/n)
While limited opposition and dissidence is allowed in some elite spaces (and usually in English), the ruling dispensation exercises total domination over genuine mass communication.Controlling the public speech of genuinely popular celebrities is vital to the totalitarian effort
Additionally, Twitter has tremendous reach and influence abroad (and outsized influence compared to its reach even in India). Modi's government is brazenly pretending that all is well and there is no shortage of essential medical facilities and supplies ...
while people literally die gasping for breath waiting for hospital beds and Remdivisir. Major celebrities, in this situation, cannot tweet (even messages of support and condolences, forget criticism of the regime!) because that pierces right through the govt's repeated denials.
This situation is not sustainable. Something has to give. My reading is that the government is desperately trying to spin something as a success for Modi, whereupon the celebrities will be trotted out with prepared template messages to praise the Great Leader's foresight.
Incidentally, the government got 52 tweets pulled down (and @Twitter complied) for criticizing the handling of COVID-19. Like all authoritarian governments, this one is hyper sensitive about its image abroad, especially in important Western countries.
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