The netizen rivalry surging every cricket tournament season takes up spaces of social media, shaping the environment around the game, and significantly affects behavioural patterns of both the winning and losing team. The India- Pakistan cricket match created a buzz of excitement on Sunday like it always does. Thousands of eyes glued to the screens following every boundary, but beyond the pitch, netizens’ reactions have taken a disturbing turn. Contrary to the belief that it is only the GenZ which indulges in harmful behaviour online, trends show that grown adults resorted to dirty slinging following the game. From using abusive language for Pakistan women fans to questioning the patriotism of cricketer Mohammad Shami, and Indian Muslims, netizens went as far as criticizing Mahatma Gandhi for the partition.
A netizen identified as Maanav J with username OrangSmileJoker took to X (Formerly Twitter) and posted, “Chale jaate. Gandhi bevakoof ne rok diya. All Muslims voted for Pakistan. So, don’t tell me Muslims are patriots. Those who want to establish Dar-ul-Islam can never be patriots.” where the word chale jaate is apparently for the Muslim community.
Certain users drew comparisons between religious identities and patriotism, pointing out how people belonging to a certain religion shouldn’t be given a choice to live in the country.These tweets got thousands of views and reshares;
User Svrao with username svrao52 posted, “Choosing Pakistan* over India on August 14, 1947, means Islam is more important than Hindusthan for these converted Hindus. Why?? (*M.K.Gandhi & Nehru should not have given Muslims the choice to remain in India)”
Mohammad Shami, who is known for his immaculate bowling and reverse swing in the Indian Cricket Team showed a low performance in the match, which irked supporters. Several tweets insinuated his connections with the opponent country. While directing criticism at him, Voice of Hindus shared a controversial post., “Mohammad Shami is playing for his team today. Every time he has taken wickets, but today against Pakistan, he showed his true color.” While other users used racial and islamophobic slurs, often spewed to spread hatred and prejudice.
Lately,the rise of social media has seen a surge of information dissemination and misinformation at the same time. The trends witness a rise in hatred against Mahatma Gandhi as well, the political climate lately has made the users come out and call him out, which has taken a lewd form. User Tedha_memer chose to abuse Gandhi on the caption of his tweet while sharing a video of a Pakistani fan.
Yet another user used problematic language for Mahatma Gandhi on the social media platform.
Targeting Women
The trends also show how women fans were constantly catcalled and reduced to mere objects on the social media platform X. A video featuring a Pakistani woman fan went viral on the internet, with the comment section flooded with remarks focusing on her beauty and appearance, like “gore rang pe phisal gae”, “ ye humari bahu hai kya” rather than the context of the match itself.
With netizens shifting from fervent sports enthusiasm to outright bigotry and misogyny, women fans have been targeted for their appearance and clothing choice. In a post, a user attributed Pakistan’s failure to the attire of Pakistani women fans, further fueling the cycle of negative rhetoric surrounding the match.
“The reason why the Pakistani team with the 11 Mullahs lost today
And became the first team to get eliminated from #ChampionsTrophy
Not a single Pakistani women was wearing a burka, and this is the reason Allah made sure Pakistan lost this match” the user posted.
Another user commented, “ Pakistani women are not real muslims as Indian muslim women are, because Indian muslim women love Burqa”
Meanwhile another user posted, “Burka is only for Indian muslims.’
Psychological Impact
Facing negative comments can increase anxiety and stress, with individuals often fearing further criticism or feeling weighed down by previous encounters. They can fuel feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and diminished self-worth, which are common symptoms of depression. Those targeted may internalize the criticism, resulting in ongoing feelings of worthlessness. Repeated criticism and mockery can cause people to question their abilities, appearance, and value, ultimately fostering a negative self-image.
The Legal Framework for Cyberbullying
The broad landscape of social media has gained millions of audience, fostering connectivity but also keeping the users on tenterhooks for the perils social media put forth. The impact of it goes far beyond the screen of the device.
In India, addressing cyberbullying involves a combination of key laws and judicial rulings. The Information Technology Act (IT Act) of 2000, along with its amendments, plays a central role in regulating online activities, including cyberbullying. While Section 66A of the IT Act, which once penalized the sending of offensive messages, was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2015 for being overly vague and infringing on free speech, other provisions like Section 66C (identity theft) and Section 67 (transmitting obscene content) remain applicable to cyberbullying cases.
In addition to the IT Act, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) also contains relevant sections for tackling cyberbullying. Provisions such as Sections 499 (defamation), 503 (criminal intimidation), and 507 (criminal intimidation through anonymous communication) are frequently used. Moreover, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act specifically targets online sexual harassment involving children.
