‘Activism Without Empathy is Noise, Publicity Without Purpose Vanity’
Sahil Nayar, an HR professional and influencer, condemns hateful online targeting of Himanshi Narwal who lost her husband in the Pahalgam terror attack. His views:
Even as Operation Sindoor unfolds and the Indian armed forces deliver a powerful response to the Pahalgam Terrorist attack, showing that the nation stands firmly behind its martyrs, it’s tragic that some citizens choose to attack the dignity of a grieving widow. While the system rallies in action, parts of society respond with outrage not empathy.
It’s a strange world we live in, where a woman’s act of compassion, such as donating blood, becomes a media spectacle. Her photograph is splashed across platforms, and she’s flooded with questions.
Her every word is dissected, analysed, and interpreted not always with wisdom, but through the lens of each person’s intellectual capacity or biases.
There is nothing wrong with expressing support or voicing opinions. That’s the freedom we all enjoy. But somewhere along the way, the lines between empathy and entitlement have blurred. Everyone seems to have a theory, a suggestion, or a piece of unsolicited advice about what the government should or shouldn’t do in such situations. While sharing perspectives is our right, we must remember that emotional intelligence and intellectual maturity need to coexist if we truly want to build a society that prioritises humanity.
Before we rush to post an opinion, share a reel, or give a soundbite, let us pause and reflect, are we truly supporting the people affected, or are we capitalising on a moment to amplify our own voices?
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The people impacted by any tragedy don’t need our armchair activism. They don’t need our hashtags, opinions, or popularity stunts. What they do need is our ability to pause, understand, and offer genuine empathy. To momentarily step into their shoes. To consider how we would feel if roles were reversed, if our life was unfolding and the world was watching with a magnifying glass, not to understand, but to comment.
We need to move beyond performative gestures. We need to reorient ourselves to humanity. The goal should not be to go viral, but to make a difference.
That difference begins with compassion, not commentary.
Before writing a post, offering a hot take, or forwarding a message, ask yourself, if someone were to write this about me, in my moment of vulnerability, how would I feel reading it? If the answer is anything less than comforted or understood, perhaps it doesn’t need to be said at all.
Let us not allow free time, fleeting attention spans, or the desire to trend cloud our sense of judgment.
Activism without empathy is noise. Publicity without purpose is vanity commentary without context is, frankly, a disservice.
There is a woman who’s quietly showing up, doing her bit, giving her blood, literally. Let’s not exploit her dignity for our digital engagement. Let’s bring humanity back to the center of conversations. Let’s ensure that our intelligence, both emotional and intellectual, serves people, not platforms.
As told to Mamta Sharma
