Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has been accused of inciting hate against India’s highest caste after being photographed holding a poster declaring “smash Brahminical patriarchy” during a visit to the country.
Dorsey was snapped holding the offending poster alongside six women who participated in a discussion last week on the role of Twitter in India, where caste is a flashpoint issue and grievances can turn violent.
The reference to Brahmins, the traditional priestly class who sit atop the rigid caste hierarchy, outraged some Hindus when the photograph was posted online Sunday evening.
“Do you realise that this picture has potential of causing communal riots at a time when several states are going to assembly elections in India,” tweeted police officer Sandeep Mittal.
“Even now an apology is not offered. Actually its (sic) a fit case for registration of a criminal case for attempt to destablise (sic) the nation,” he added.
Twitter defended Dorsey in comments posted on its official India page on Monday, saying a low-caste activist had “shared her personal experiences and gifted a poster to Jack”.
“It is not a statement from Twitter or our CEO, but a tangible reflection of our company’s efforts to see, hear, and understand all sides of important public conversations that happen on our service around the world,” the company said.
Another user, tweeting under the name Prassant DeshPehle (country first), wrote: “Shame on you @jack. Hate against any community or group should be condemned. Spewing hate on one to please the other isn’t right.”
“I’m very sorry for this,” Vijaya Gadde, Twitter’s legal and policy head told one user.
“It’s not reflective of our views. We took a private photo with a gift just given to us - we should have been more thoughtful.
“Twitter strives to be an impartial platform for all,” she added. “We failed to do that here & we must do better to serve our customers in India.”
That apology angered others, who argued Twitter should forthrightly oppose Brahminism, the system of beliefs and practices that perpetuates the place of Brahmins at the top of India’s social order.
A Twitter spokesman said the company was proud of the fact that Twitter is a platform where marginalised voices can be seen and heard.
“But we also have a public commitment to being apolitical. We realise that this photo may not accurately represent that commitment,” the spokesman said.
“When our executives travel, they meet with a range of public figures from around the world that represent the diversity of the conversation on our platform. This recent trip to India was no exception and Jack and Vijaya met with leaders across the political spectrum, and from a range of religious and cultural backgrounds.”
It was the latest misstep for a major Silicon Valley company in India, a frontier market where many technology firms have been focusing their resources as their customer bases in Europe, the US and Australia become saturated.
Some praised the Twitter chief for touching on the plight of marginalised, low-caste Dalit communities and women in India.
“Dalit lynching and oppression, incidents of which we read about every other day, do not cause as much Twitter outrage as Jack Dorsey holding up a placard saying ‘End Brahmin Patriarchy’,” wrote user Ranjona Banerji.
South Asian historian Audrey Truschke said: “My Twitter feed is full of elite men hyperventilating about Twitter CEO @jack holding a sign that calls out sex-based & caste-based discrimination in India.”
Dorsey: under fire
