Twitter chief executive Jack Dorsey was drawn into a caste controversy in India after a photograph showed him holding a poster that read “smash Brahminical patriarchy” during a visit to the country.
The image, which circulated online on Sunday evening, triggered anger among some Hindu users and prompted claims that he had encouraged hostility toward India’s highest caste.
Dorsey had been photographed with six women after a discussion last week on Twitter’s role in India, where caste remains a volatile issue and disputes can turn violent. The poster was linked to a conversation about discrimination, not presented as an official Twitter position.
Indian police officer Sandeep Mittal reacted on Twitter, asking: “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?” He added: “Even now an apology is not offered. Actually its (sic) a fit case for registration of a criminal case for attempt to destabilise (sic) the nation.”
Twitter defended its chief on the company’s official India page on Monday, saying a low-caste activist had “shared her personal experiences and gifted a poster to Jack”. The company said: “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.”
Not everyone saw the photo the same way. One user posting as 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.”
Others praised Dorsey for drawing attention to the treatment of Dalit communities and women in India, a country of 1.25 billion people. Ranjona Banerji wrote: “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',” while 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.” She added: “Caste and sexism are real and virulent in modern India. If you want to be angry about something, let it be that reality.”
Caste politics remains explosive in India. The centuries-old hierarchy divides Hindus into classes beginning with Brahmins and ending with Dalits, formerly known as “untouchables”. Although the system has been officially abolished, it still shapes life in many rural areas, including where people live, who they marry and the work they do.
