the goan I network
PANAJI
One of the most vocal critics of the ruling BJP and its right wing agendas, historian Ramchandra Guha was trolled over the weekend for a tweet which said he was ‘eating beef’ in BJP-ruled Goa.
Following the trolling, Guha deleted the tweet admitting it was cavalier and unnecessary but not before he did hold out to the trolling and even reported abuse to the social media site by one user who he identified as a former RAW official.
“The photo was cavalier and unnecessary. The argument about the freedom of choice as regards diet could have been made without it,” Guha said after deleting the controversial tweet. Guha who was in Goa last week for the ‘Goa Arts and Literary Festival, co-curated by Damodar Mauzo, litterateur and also a target of the Hindu right wing in the country.
Posting a pic of himself having lunch with some others Guha had tweeted on Saturday: “After a magical
morning in Old Goa we had lunch in Panaji, where -- since this is a BJP ruled State -- I decided to eat beef in celebration.”
The tweet evoked sharp responses including one from an user which said: “If a Hindu eating beef and publicises it, he is stigma on this religion. One Ramchandra Guha is doing so. He is trying to tease whole of Hindus by this dastardly action of such publicity. Should be given befitting reply.”
The Twitter user was identified by Guha as a former official of the Research and Analysis Wing R K Yadav. Guha also reported him to Twitter on Sunday.
Initially Guha was indignant about the tweet after the trolling and further tweeted: “I have received threatening calls from a man calling himself Sanjay from Delhi. He threatened my wife as well as me.”
But as more critical tweets began to pour in criticizing the photo and the tweet saying it was in bad taste, Guha removed his tweet and kind of apologised.
Guha changed his stance and tone when another Twitter user said it was in bad taste coming from a historian. He responded with: “I have deleted the photo of my lunch in Goa as it was in poor taste. I do wish, however, to again highlight the absolute hypocrisy of the BJP in the matter of beef, and to reiterate my own belief that humans must have the right to eat, dress, and fall in love as they choose.”
