The moral hazard of WhatsApp groups

There are more than 532 million WhatsApp users in India (figures July 2022), which amounts to 40 percent of the population. Most of them belong to some WhatsApp group, usually several. It would not be incorrect to say that the country is divided, socially and politically, into numerous WhatsApp groups, which now form the basis of our society and polity.

The sheer diversity of these groups is mind-boggling and includes several categories of citizens, all dedicated to their specific niche: RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations), bloggers, business entities, political parties, vloggers, government departments (both serving and retired), yoga, trekkers, the civil society, family groups and many others.

These WA groups are an unparalleled medium for exchanging news and views – and therein lies the problem. Since the right-wing juggernaut started rolling in 2014, we as a nation have been divided like never before, in our ideologies, political allegiances, religious leanings, levels of inclusivity and tolerance. It was inevitable that this division would spill over into the WA groups, but the level of toxicity and poison that has accompanied this process may not have been anticipated and poses a moral hazard for some of us.

The right-wing elements, bound by a common Hindutva thread and an unquestioning adoration for the Supreme Leader, are by far the more aggressive components of these groups, supported and egged on by the IT cell of the BJP, a fawning media, fake news, an all-powerful and umbrella government whose spokespersons provide new ammunition to these ‘bhakts’ on a daily basis. Most groups have been taken over by these elements.