Vikram Misri, Family Abused Online: What We Lose When We Vilify Those Who Serve

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri is facing intense online abuse and trolling following India’s agreement with Pakistan to stop military actions. According to media reports on May 11, a section of social media users targeted Misri and even his daughters with abusive language and personal attacks. The foreign secretary resorted to locking his X handle because he had been “doxed” — Internet lingo for being spammed with threats and derisive remarks.

Misri, in a press briefing on Saturday evening, announced that the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries agreed to reach an understanding to stop all military actions on land, air and sea with immediate effect. Following his announcement, abusive words such as "traitor," "gaddar," and "deshdrohi" were hurled towards him, with some posts even questioning the citizenship of his daughters. 

Misri's daughter, a lawyer, was trolled for her legal aid work for Rohingyas in Myanmar, and for writing for The Wire, one of many news websites that have faced partial blocking during Operation Sindoor.

Some users, however, condemned the abuse, criticising the personal nature of the attacks and the targeting of Misri’s family. They called for respectful discourse and denounced the doxxing. Misri also received support from veteran diplomat Nirupama Menon Rao and politicians Asaduddin Owaisi and Akhilesh Yadav. Samajwadi Party chief Yadav wrote a long post on X in Hindi and said, such statements break the morale of honest officers who work day and night dedicated to the country.

“Doxxing his daughter and abusing his loved ones crosses every line of decency. This toxic hate must stop — stand united behind our diplomats, not tear them down,” wrote Nirupama Rao on X.

It’s utterly shameful to troll Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his family over the India-Pakistan ceasefire announcement. A dedicated diplomat, Misri has served India with professionalism and resolve, and there is no ground whatsoever for his vilification . Doxxing his…

— Nirupama Menon Rao 🇮🇳 (@NMenonRao) May 11, 2025

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. pic.twitter.com/qahtRLfCLF

— IAS Association (@IASassociation) May 11, 2025

Why this personal outrage is uncalled for

Misri’s decision to lock his social media account wasn’t just a personal response to a toxic barrage—it was a mirror to the growing rot in our online discourse. Misri's diplomatic career is one for the charts. He assumed the charge as Foreign Secretary on July 15, 2024. He also served in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs, in the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi and in various Indian Missions abroad in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. He also had stints on the staffs of two foreign ministers (IK Gujral and Pranab Mukherjee), reports LiveMint.

Apart from serving as the Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Vikram Misri also served as Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers of India — IK Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi.

It should be noted that the Internet outrage wasn’t rooted in any policy critique or foreign affairs expertise. It was rage just for rage’s sake—ugly and performative. The decision to go after a civil servant and to drag his family into it reflects a disturbing moral vacuum. We are watching the slow erosion of our ability to disagree with reason and facts. And it's creating an atmosphere where bureaucrats, scholars, journalists—even students—are forced to self-censor, retreat, or suffer.

Last week, Himanshi Narwal, the wife of Indian Navy officer Lt Vinay Narwal who was killed in the Pahalgam attacks, was subjected to insensitive remarks and character assassination by many after she spoke out against the targeting of Muslims. She had just made a heartfelt appeal for peace amidst battling her personal grief. However, Narwal's appeal met with a storm of online abuse, with social media users accusing her of being politically motivated.

We should not allow outrage to replace analysis, or trolling to stand in for civic engagement. If our top diplomats are hounded for fulfilling their constitutional duties, what kind of public discourse are we cultivating? That Misri is being targeted not despite, but because of his restraint and statesmanship, says more about us than it does about him.

Views expressed by the author are their own.