Amid the outpouring of sympathy, cyber attackers target terror victims daughter Arathy in Kerala
KOCHI: In a disturbing trend, Arathy Menon, daughter of N Ramachandran, who was killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack, was on Thursday the target of cyber attacks. She faced a barrage of insensitive comments on social media after she appeared before reporters and expressed gratitude to two Kashmiri men who helped the family in its moment of deep agony.
Comments that surfaced online took aim at Arathy’s appearance and demeanour during her media interaction. The remarks grew more vicious after she expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Kashmiri men who helped her in the aftermath of the attack. Amid this wave of hate, there were numerous comments applauding her courage, bold attitude, emotional strength, resilience, and composure, and the remarkable willpower she displayed in facing such an unimaginable tragedy.
Whereas cyber-bullying has sparked concern, many are questioning the motive behind such behaviour.
“Most of these attacks seem to stem from online disinhibition syndrome, or are reflections of male attitudes on how a woman should be. It could even be organised attacks by certain sections of people with vested interests who did not like her endorsing the brotherly help she received from two Kashmiri men who proved their humane nature,” said Dr C J John, senior consultant psychiatrist at Medical Trust Hospital.
“She has broken all stereotypes of what society expects of a bereaved daughter. The way she kept her sense of composure and reacted in the face of crisis, when her father was shot dead by terrorists is a sign of her strength,” he added.