PTI Trolls

Youth have played a pivotal role in revolutions and movements that have changed the course of history and as Herbert Hoover said, “Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die”.

In modern times, Obama’s 2008 campaign and the Egypt Uprising are examples of how the power of youth was utilized by older leaders to create history. However, it can also be said that the politicians and leaders in both cases struck a chord with the youth who were resentful, dissatisfied and angry at the status quo. In both the cases, the youth passionately advocated the ideals of democracy and social equality and made sure that their voice was heard so that the degeneration of a political system or the whole society could be prevented. These youth really wanted to change the world and they made sure the chance they had was not wasted. And, the wily politicians exploited that masterfully.

The case is almost similar to PTI and specially Imran Khan’s story as well. It’s popularity among the Pakistani youth is mostly due to its effective use of social media, the presence of which has changed the political landscape of Pakistan by exposing the life and lies of well known personalities both political and nonpolitical. In social media, the youths of Pakistan have certainly found a platform where they can express themselves and make their thoughts heard by a large audience. Well, with this growing number of social media users, you also get occasional ‘trolls’ who disrupt normal debates and conversations with their own brand of reasoning which is pretty much detached with reality and rational thought. But is there any method to their actions, especially of the ‘alleged’ PTI trolls? One is led to believe that the PTI trolls are just random masked idiots who’s only aim in life is to disrupt conversations and malign the people who’s allegiance lies with any party except PTI. Normally their behavior is alleged to be such that if you don’t like, revere, love or hold Imran Khan and PTI in high esteem then you are a western agent or unpatriotic. Well some of them are certifiably like that but the classification by our liberals, media personalities and rights activists that all youths supporting PTI are like that is demonstrably wrong. I am in no way an office bearer or on the payroll of PTI but I do support it because of its principles. But does that mean that I am a troll? Would I attack liberals and all personages anti-PTI just because they disagree with me? But we must ask ourselves, what compels those other youths to attack online anybody disagreeing with their political views? For one thing, one is angered by the amount of criticism hurled down by political parties and certain journalists and ‘enlightened’ individuals whose own past is tainted –rather heavily- by corruption, disreputable behavior and links to terror, all which is well documented .  How, a ‘PTI troll’ thinks, is it so that those political parties, which have led Pakistan to this catastrophic situation, have the audacity to criticize a political party, which hasn’t come into power yet. That youth /aka PTI troll is angered by this and when unable to effectively communicate his thoughts and grievances, then adopts trolling as a medium of protest, yes it is true that that ‘troll’ abandons rational judgment of differentiating right from wrong and doesn’t criticize his own party but the blame lies on the vile and loathsome mess that our elders, liberals, conservatives and political parties have created.  But the leadership of PTI must also take steps to prevent this from happening because that tarnishes its own image. Trolling is extremism in its truest form and while it cannot be stamped out, but it certainly can be reduced. The youths supportive of PTI that I know are very good communicators and open minded. The actions of a few must not reflect on the majority.

Trolling also tells us something about our society that has engendered those trolls, trolls are just not on the internet, they are in offices, mosques, institutes and gatherings. Our society has become such that it provides the right ingredients for the creation of a troll.  Strict adherence to any ideal, lack of critical analysis and open mindedness are now becoming the characteristics of our society and that is reflected in the verbal jousts taking place on the social media.  The sad part about these trolls is that they tend to be youth, the same youth that are supposed to lead the country in the future but alas, their actions warrant introspection by the society itself.

Nusrat Bhai's Problem with PTI

Nusrat Javed is a competent journalist; let’s give him that at least. He deserves it. On occasion, he might blunder and bluster just like somebody’s extremely old grandpa on family occasions, but still, his journalistic experience demands respect.

Nusrat’s saab’s  contention with PTI youth, or ‘trolls’ as he and other respectable liberals (present  almost exclusively on Twitter) , prefer to call them , is well known, well observed and has been the subject matter of much casual chit chats, face to face verbal jousting and war of comments on social networks. As a part of the generation that is gradually disappearing, his discomfiture with the social network active youth is understandable. He is slow to catch up on the trend, but social media is now gradually playing an important role in Pakistani politics with its ability to bring on the table, youth (though mostly from urban areas) and their newfound love for political activism. And with youth, well, you get occasional hot heads, cyber bullies, overzealous preachers and passionate expounders of conspiracy theories. It is a whole new world for the people of old electronic and print media and a one to which they now have to get used to. But one has to understand the undercurrents of the rising tide of participation by Pakistani youth in politics.

Youth have played a significant part in world politics. Throughout history, their participation is synonymous with dramatic changes or to be more fair, the various revolutionary leaders throughout history have utilized the services of young people to change the course of history. It has been seen that youth can get exploited and manipulated for both good and nefarious purposes. Muhammad Ali Jinnah used the Muslim youth of the sub continent to good success for the Pakistan Movement, but there have been instances where youth were used for more sinister purposes like the Nazification of Germany or the Cultural Revolution in China and yes it is shameful that the Taliban have proven more successful in attracting young people than our mainstream national parties, and that is the reality. But as you might observe these days, the reserves of undecided and politically inactive youth are being tapped by political parties throughout the world.  With the voluntary and involuntary inclusion of youth in political and social discussions, the rules of discussion and debate are changing and which many politicians and journalists -including Nusrat Javed- are finding hard to come to terms with.

In comparison to other parties, PTI seems to have had a reasonable success with youth and parallels with Obama’s 2008-election strategy can be justifiably drawn. Their crafty exploitation of the Messiah Syndrome in the masses and the use of youth in spreading their message are two similarities that glaringly stand out.

But aside from all this, both the Democrats in USA and PTI in Pakistan have realized the importance of youth in politics. It was the youth that toppled the Shah’s regime in Iran and the despotic governments of Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. The power of youth thus cannot be under estimated.

But what happens in most cases is that the young people who have been in the fore forefront of movements and election campaigns get disillusioned by the policies of their leaders, like this year, Obama faces an uphill battle against the rising number of youth non-participants in elections, the same youth that so fervently voted for him the 2008 elections are now are little unsure about him. This is a case study from heaven for PTI and it should learn something from this.

But we must ask that what leads these ‘trolls’ to ridicule and viciously attack their opponents online, isn’t that a trait that is found in the Taliban?  I.e. you disagree with us we attack you. In my opinion it is the constant betrayal and continuous exploitation by politicians that drives these young people to brutally attack differing opinions because they seem to have pinned hopes to a cause or a personality in which they have fervently come to believe. Every religious, secular and violent movement in the past has been led by these same young zealots who blindly follow their leader and more often than not these are the same people who are the most disenchanted at the end of each revolution, because no revolution in this world has seen a happy ending for the youth and Nusrat saab as an avid reader of history might know this.