Overloaded Bandwagon

As a race-crazed with following trends, we Indians are at it, yet again. The media is already labeling it the fastest trend in the history of Facebook. It is just over twenty-four hours and an alarming number of Facebook users in India, and Indians abroad and their friends, and friends of friends have changed their current profile pics into one which is tri colored, of course in the colors of the Indian national flag. This is because they believe that by doing so they are supporting a ‘Digital India’.

Just because Mr. Zuckerberg wanted to display solidarity with the Indian premier upon his visit to the formers head office, and Mr. Prime Minister returned the friendly gesture, all Facebook users in India brought upon themselves the duty to ‘digitalize’ the country like it was as simple as flipping a switch.

I was a bit startled to see notification after notification of people on my friend list changing their profile pictures into a similar theme. I thought it was definitely a fad, as were the rainbow colored profile pics last June. To my utter dismay and very little amusement people who knew zilch about LGBT rights, never mind their ignorance towards this movement at least in India, were displaying their Profile pics in rainbow shades. I’m sure they (most of them) had no clue whatsoever of its literal meaning, let alone the historic judgment of the Supreme Court of the US of A.

This time around there was also a so called ulterior motive behind Facebook asking you to support digital India. It is purported that the link which helps you set up a tri color profile picture also make you vote for net neutrality ;i.e., Internet.org, an endeavor by Facebook, in collaboration with 6 companies, namely, Samsung, Ericsson, Media Tek, Opera Software  Nokia and Qualcomm.

Whether truth or myth, the theory is definitely enticing and just like the fad, this rumor too spread quickly and a couple of tri-color profile pics were hurriedly changed back to the previous versions.

The hope of a digital India is a very promising idea. The number of netizens wishing for it to be a reality is but a proof of how much they want to have an unbiased internet. The beginning to achieve this end should not be a perfidy.