It is unbecoming of so many young people to spend hours mocking the country’s most honorable politicians online

If someone looks like a moron, acts like a moron, cackles in front of cameras like a moron, and embarrasses himself in front of foreign leaders like a moron, anyone observing this may start to wonder if the person might be a moron after all. Representation pic/istock

I was happy to read about the hundreds of takedown notices that have been issued over the past few weeks to users on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Apparently, they were related to all kinds of videos, memes, and cartoons poking fun at the government and some of India’s most respected and erudite politicians. I put aside my shock and horror that this material existed in the first place, and thought of how thankful I was for the speed with which the government had responded.

Monitoring social media for jokes may not seem like a priority in some countries, but I’m pretty sure you don’t become the world’s fourth largest economy without paying attention to memes that make your leaders seem ridiculous. As far as I was concerned, it was a proactive approach with which this objectionable content was nipped in the bud, preventing millions of Indians from assuming their........

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