I Am An Indian Dog

Summary

An author on Medium faced cyberbullying, including being called an "Indian dog," for their neutral yet sensitive articles on India and Nepal's political dynamics, leading to a self-reflective and informative piece on the relationship between the two countries.

Abstract

The author, who manages a Facebook page on Indian History, began writing on Medium in November 2019, focusing on Indian and World History. Their recent articles on the political tensions between India and Nepal, and the latter's shift towards China, sparked controversy. One reader, referred to as Mr. X, responded with a derogatory remark on Facebook. The author reflected on the incident and recognized the need to address the "elephant in the room"—the direct clash between India and China—more explicitly. This led to the writing of an article titled "Is India Nepal headed towards a breakup?" The author then reached out to Mr. X with the article, resulting in a more civil exchange. The author advises that when faced with cyberbullying, one should assess the situation and attempt to resolve misunderstandings if possible, or disengage if resolution is not feasible.

Opinions

The author believes in maintaining neutrality when discussing sensitive political issues.
The author acknowledges the importance of directly addressing controversial topics to avoid misunderstandings.
The author suggests that cyberbullying can be mitigated by open communication and a willingness to engage in dialogue.
The author emphasizes the need to remain calm and reflective when confronted with online hostility.
The author encourages taking constructive steps, such as writing an explanatory article, to clarify one's position and foster better communication.

I was called an Indian dog by someone on Facebook for my opinion.

A snippet from the chat. Source-Facebook

My journey on Medium started in November 2019. I wrote mostly on Indian History and World History. I manage a Facebook page on Indian History, where I engage with my readers. I recently covered some sensitive topics on India and Nepal’s political clashes, which provoked one of my readers.

Protest at Indian embassy in Katmandu. Source-BBC

India and Nepal are neighbors and also a buffer between India and China. Nepal held on to its sovereignty even during British colonization. After its independence, Nepal is in a tug of war between the regional superpowers India and China. Recently with a pro-Chinese government in power in Nepal, Nepal started to drift more towards China. A series of articles I wrote stressed this political situation. Though I tried to be neutral, it hurt someone, and I got this message from one of my Facebook page members.

Let me call him Mr. X. Mr. X called me an Indian dog to vent out his frustration. Mr. X’s wanted to scold me as he didn’t accept my opinion on Nepal. I calmly took up his question. I pondered on the comment for a few days, and I realized my mistake. I was beating around the bush in all my articles but never addressed the elephant in the room. I wanted to express the direct clash in the relationship between India and China in one article. I wrote an article on “Is India Nepal headed towards a breakup?”.

After the article, I contacted Mr. X. I posted the link to him and asked for his clarification. He replied in a much more polite way. Cyber bullying for expressing one’s thoughts has become a common subject. If someone bullies you, take a step back and see what’s the problem. If you can resolve it, please got ahead. If you feel you can’t fix it, just walk away.

My reply. Source-Facebook