Firmly in solidarity: NCW, IAS Association, Kashmir netizens stand by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, his family, after online abuse

Ziraat Times Team Report

Srinagar: A wave of solidarity is pouring from across the country, including from the IAS Association of India, the National Commission for Women and netizens from Kashmir after India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family were subjected to vicious online abuse.

The online campaign was started soon after Mr Misri performed his professional duties of announcing the government’s decisions with regard to the de-escalation in the recent India-Pakistan hostilities. The trolling, which quickly spiraled into personal attacks on his family, particularly his daughter, has sparked national outrage and a larger conversation about the treatment of civil servants.

Mr Misri comes from a respected Kashmiri Pandit family from Srinagar and has had his initial schooling from Kashmir, before moving outside the valley and qualifying the coveted Indian Foreign Service (IFS) to rise to the post of the nation’s Foreign Secretary.

In response to the senseless trolling, the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) Association issued a strong statement of support:

“The IAS Association stands in solidarity with Shri Vikram Misri, Foreign Secretary, & his family. Unwarranted personal attacks on civil servants performing their duties with integrity are deeply regrettable. We reaffirm our commitment to uphold the dignity of public service.”

The Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Vijaya Rahatkar, also condemned the incident, stating that the “indecent and targeted online harassment” of Misri’s daughter was unacceptable and in violation of both decency and the law.

Beyond official circles, a wave of support also emerged from Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits, many of whom publicly condemned the trolling campaign and defended Misri’s integrity. Several users on social media platforms called out what they described as a targeted right-wing smear campaign, demanding more civil discourse and respect for public officials.

The abuse forced Misri to make his official X (formerly Twitter) account private, even as he remained silent on the matter publicly. His daughter, a private individual with no official role, became the target of coordinated trolling by some online users, many of whom accused her of holding views contrary to nationalist sentiments.

Prominent voices across the political and civil society spectrum echoed similar sentiments. Ankit Bhuptani, a social activist, wrote: “Vikram Misri, a Kashmiri, has done India proud. No amount of trolling can diminish his service to the country. If you can’t say thank you, learn to shut up. His daughter is an adult individual, free to make her own decisions. We can criticize her stands separately.”

Charu Pragya, a lawyer called the attacks “deeply un-Indian”: “FS Vikram Misri has served India with honour & distinction. The personal attacks on him and his family are shameful, unacceptable, and deeply un-Indian. Moreover, targeting an officer’s daughter isn’t nationalism—it’s cowardice.”