Ritika Sajdeh, the wife of Rohit Sharma, a leading cricketer in India, created a controversy
after making an Instagram story that read “All Eyes on Rafah.” In the current era of online
social media, one post can be enough to create havoc.
Ritika’s story had a picture of Rafah which looked hauntly and wanted people to see that
over 40 people died, but she was met by strong opposition. Others led by the likes of Varun
Dhawan and Triptii Dimri criticized her action through their accounts. What made them
different from other celebrities? Why were they silent when it came to issues like religious
persecution against non-Muslims in Pakistan or Bangladesh?
“Why don’t these celebrities ever speak up about the Kashmiri Pandits or Hindus in
Pakistan?” commented another angry user who seemed to capture what many others felt.
People saw Ritika’s attempt to raise awareness for a humanitarian crisis as an incident of
negligence on her part by not mentioning some of the local issues when we are living in an
era where every upload is under scrutiny. It took less than a day for irate social media users
to compel her to erase the narrative due to the erratic mixture of public opinion and celebrity
pull.
This occurrence demonstrates how vulnerable celebrities are and raises serious questions
about celebrity activism. Should we hold them responsible for covering all bases, both locally
and internationally? Or could it be that these people have unrealistic expectations?
However, Ritika – the one who has always stood up for Rohit Sharma and Mumbai Indians –
will now have another task of swimming through this field of public opinions. That much we
can ascertain from ongoing discussions: there is no good post without punishment on social
media.
https://twitter.com/LogicLitLatte/status/1795482323741487504
In the aftermath, fans and critics alike continue to wonder how much impact celebrity voices
can really make. But can they ever advocate openly without facing criticism? For others in
showbiz, Ritika Sajdeh’s experience may be a warning sign for them.
