Passions: Speak up/stay silent

Should public figures address global or political issues? A vlogger and an opinionated musician-actor make their points

“I’ve been given a platform and it comes with responsibility”

What should a ‘famous’ person use their social media accounts to talk about?

By Saba Azad

Saba says it’s hard not to feel passionately about the way the world is crumbling around us

I never refrain from commenting on serious or political issues. I have been given a platform and it comes with responsibility: I should use my voice for something. I share information because misinformation is readily available today. I don’t post about anything unless I have read about it extensively and understand it thoroughly. And therein lies the responsibility.

We exist in two parallels today—social media and real life. While social media seems to be the source for our news and entertainment, it’s a slippery slope. Fact-checking thus becomes crucial.

I decide what’s relevant for me to post about. Two weeks ago when Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I had to post about it. It’s myopic of people to think the war only effects a certain region. It’s hard not to feel passionately about the way the world is crumbling around us.

I’ve never felt pushed to comment. On the contrary, I’ve been asked to shut up. But that’s your regular IT cell troll. Politics is treated as a ‘dirty thing’, but politics is imperative. Even being apolitical means you’re choosing a side.

Some people follow me after seeing my pictures, then unfollow when they see I have a mind of my own. Others thank me for amplifying issues and I know I’m doing something right.

Saba Azad, 29, is an actor and musician known for her duo Madboy/Mink. She often posts about political issues.

“I advise people to post only about things they have information about”

By Nikhil Sharma

Nikhil says that when it comes to the political, the debates will never stop. So, he doesn’t get into it directly anymore

I got into a lot of trouble earlier for talking about things beyond my spectrum, like the CAA protest and Vir Das’s Two Indias video. So, now I think twice before I post. When it comes to the political, the debates will never stop. So, I don’t get into it directly anymore. It’s not worth it. Even when it comes to the war.

For me, the point of social media is to stay updated and informed.

Is there pressure to comment on certain issues? Not when it’s not happening in India. And even when it is, like the farmer’s protest, I didn’t address it because it was deeply political. Who am I to give my opinion? I am work-from-home content creator! I have been through the phase when you believe even those in an entertainment field should have expertise on every topic, but now I advise people to post only about things they have experience in or information about. For instance, I speak up only about young parents and screen time. If you talk about things you don’t know about, you will be ridiculed.

Who decides what’s relevant for me to post about? Only time. There’s a right time to talk about an issue and a wrong time.

Nikhil Sharma aka Mumbiker Nikhil, 30, is one of India’s largest vloggers with almost 4 million subscribers on YouTube.

From HT Brunch, March 13, 2022

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