Press Release
Delhi for Farmers Condemns Twitter for Suspending the DFF Twitter Handle
26 May 2021
While twitterati was concerned about the possible ban of Twitter in India, Twitter was busy suspending an account created less than 24 hours ago. Delhi for farmers is a solidarity of Trade Unions, human rights activists, women’s movements and other concerned citizens who support the farmer’s movement. As the farmer’s movement completes six months of sit-in, DFF created a twitter handle to talk about the problems faced by farmers. A press release and a couple of retweets later, we find the account suspended in less than 24 hours.
This anti-democratic move of Twitter speaks volumes of their policy to cater to governments and suppress democratic voices. Dear Twitter, speaking in support of farmers is not cautionary activity that needs to be shut down. Nor is speaking up against capitalism or corporatization of the economy. Suspending an account will not stop the observation of Black Day by thousands of supporters. We will find other platforms.
The suspension of the account will definitely question the loyalty of Twitter. It will force people to question your intention and motivation. We will be forced to ask if the giving of millions of dollars as aid to a right wing, proto-fascist group was a mere accident. We will question your claim to be a platform for democratic voices. We do hope you understand the responsibility of running a social media platform. Social media is supposed to be an alternative to government media. Over the years we have not seen the suspension of any accounts that spread social polarization or stalking women. Even accounts that sold women were not suspended for criminal content!!
We reiterate, the suspension of an account in solidarity with a democratic movement is misusage of power and anti-democratic. As a platform that is meant to support the voices of the marginalizes, please get your priorities right. Revoke the suspension of @DFF_RFL immediately. You owe an apology to the solidarity movement.
Poonam Kaushik (9811136242)
Mayukh Biswas ( 98744 09081)
Coordinators, Delhi for farmers
AICCTU, AIDSO, AIDWA, AIDYO, AIFTU (New), AILU, AIMSS, AISA, AITUC, AIUTUC, ANHAD, BSCEM, Collective, CITU, CSW, CTF, DASTAK, DSF, DSMM, DSU, DTF, DYFI, ICTU, IFTU, IFTU (Sarwahara), IMK, IMS, JFME,Jan Natya Manch, JNUSU, Khet Mazdoor Union, KYS, LPF, MEC, MEK, NFIW, Nishant Natya Manch, NTUI, SEWA, PDSU, Pinjra Tod, PMSF, Pragatisheel MS, Purogami MS, PACHHAAS Revolutionary Culture Forum,RYA,Swaraj Abhiyan, Saheli, SFI, TUCC, TUCI, UTUC
'Manipulated Media' Controversy: Government Vs Twitter https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-manipulated-media-controversy-government-vs-twitter/383352 this is the not the first time a post by a BJP leader or celebrity supporter has come under a cloud. This has also reopened the global debate over “fake posts” and free speech, with the right-wing often accusing social media platforms of being leaning towards the left and liberal. https://www.opindia.com/2020/12/us-elections-facebook-twitter-interfere-indian-elections-why-2024-left-wing-bias/ With Twitter admitting that it has a left-bias, it becomes evident that what they did, and got away with, during the US elections was only a blue-print of the times to come.
https://www.opindia.com/2021/05/twitter-civilisational-war-narendra-modi-global-left-woke/ Though Tharoor had some early troubles, Twitter remained a nice playground for liberals until after the ‘other side’ started using it really effectively. This shift didn’t take too much time actually. By 2011, along with Anna Hazare DP sporting youngsters, Twitter was densely inhabited by the ‘Hindutva types’ too.
The platform democratized the narrative. People who had no chance of getting an article published in a mainstream media outlet earlier could now get a distribution platform that was fast matching the reach of the mainstream media. Not just reach, even impact. It broke all barriers that existed in the mainstream media publishing – of language (primarily of style), of access (you didn’t need to know an editor or hire a PR agency to get an audience), and most importantly, of ideology (you didn’t need to toe the same old liberal line to get published). n August 2012, the then Government of India blocked a bunch of Twitter handles – many were ‘Hindutva types’ among those blocked – it remains one of the earliest attempts to censor Twitter by the government. The UPA government simply bypassed Twitter and asked the ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to block access to those Twitter accounts. It created a massive furor, but it also had tacit support from some quarters of liberals.