- Published
Their videos lasted only a few seconds: lip-syncs, sarcastic reels and jokes filmed on the way to protests.
asserted
videos → publish → protests
But while thousands of young people filled social media with memes and videos mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi during one of India's biggest anti-government protest in years, many of the women behind those posts say they have paid a heavy price for speaking out.
asserted
they → fill → price
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), a youth-led movement that helped force the resignation of India's education minister, relied as much on Instagram as it did on marches.
asserted
it → lead → marches
Memes, reels and viral videos became the movement's calling card, documenting everything from protest songs to the police crackdown when officers used tear gas and baton charges to stop demonstrators marching to parliament on 20 July.
asserted
officers → become → July
Delhi police said 60 protesters and 118 police personnel were injured on the day, but the CJP said the number of injured protesters was significantly higher than the official count.
asserted
number → say → count
The posts reached hundreds of thousands of people, turning ordinary students into some of the movement's most recognisable faces.
asserted
posts → reach → faces
Since the protests ended, police have opened criminal cases against some protesters.
asserted
police → end → protesters
But many women say another reckoning played out online.
asserted
reckoning → say → ?
They describe rape threats, doctored images spreading on social media and strangers trawling through their photos and videos.
asserted
They → describe → photos
Some cases spilled into TV debates, police complaints and political statements.
asserted
cases → spill → debates
Many more unfolded quietly, as young women deleted posts, locked their accounts and stopped answering calls from unknown numbers.
asserted
women → unfold → numbers
The BBC spoke to four women and reviewed screenshots of abusive messages, posts and other material they shared.
asserted
they → speak → messages
Their names have not been used to protect their identities.
asserted
names → use → identities
I had been posting about the protests from the beginning, but 20 July was the first time I attended one.
asserted
I → post → one
After the baton charge that day and the internet shutdown around the protest site, I went home and started sharing first-person accounts on Instagram.
I also helped organise food, aid and volunteers.
asserted
I → go → food
I thought I was just helping and didn't think of it as political.
asserted
I → think → it
But the hate started almost immediately.
asserted
hate → start → ?
I was slut-shamed and I was attacked for questioning the prime minister's comments, external after the protest ended.
asserted
protest → sham → comments
[Modi said he forgave the children who had abused him, urging society to do the same rather than punish them or drag them through the courts.
asserted
who → say → courts
]
I have lost count of the number of messages I have deleted and people I have blocked.
asserted
I → lose → messages
But the comments keep coming.
asserted
comments → come → ?
As a content creator, I already live with this feeling of constantly being watched.
asserted
I → live → feeling
Every word I say is scrutinised, mostly by men.
asserted
I → say → men
When I first started creating content, I would block men if they made me feel uncomfortable.
asserted
me → start → men
Over time, the algorithm started pushing my content towards more women.
asserted
algorithm → start → women
I believe that has shielded me from abuse compared with many other female creators.
asserted
that → believe → creators
And still, this happened.
asserted
this → happen → ?
My mother stopped reading the comments on my posts long ago.
asserted
mother → stop → posts
She said she couldn't bear the things strangers were saying about her daughter.
asserted
strangers → say → daughter
I understood.
asserted
I → understand → ?
As a woman in India, you grow up with fear.
asserted
you → grow → fear
You're told not to stay out late, to watch where you go, who you're with and how you'll get home.
asserted
you → tell → who
You learn early that your safety is something you must constantly think about.
asserted
you → learn → ?
When you have a voice online, that fear doesn't disappear.
asserted
fear → have → voice
It just follows you there.
asserted
It → follow → you
I went because I believed the students were standing up for something important.
asserted
students → go → something
Before leaving the Metro station, I propped my phone against a railing and filmed a quick "fit check" [a video showing off her outfit before the protest.
asserted
I → leave → protest
]
"Going to get beaten by cops, guys," I joked.
asserted
I → go → cops
That's the kind of light-hearted videos I usually make.
asserted
I → make → videos
When police fired tear gas and charged protesters that afternoon, I kept filming.
asserted
I → fire → protesters
…and 51 more, not listed.
The Aporia
