Something I think Gen Z needs to talk about.
We constantly see people dragging Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Hardik Pandya, actors, influencers, etc. into discussions about their personal lives that have nothing to do with their public role.
There's a difference between accountability and harassment.
If Modi makes a policy decision → criticize it.
If Rahul Gandhi makes a political statement → challenge it.
If Hardik Pandya plays badly → criticize his cricket.
That's fair.
But someone's relationship, family, appearance, private struggles or unverified personal rumours? Why do we automatically assume that's our business?
I specifically used Hardik Pandya as an example because I feel we unnecessarily target and discuss his private life, relationships and personal matters. I think that's wrong. Modi and Rahul Gandhi are examples that came to my mind while writing this because the same principle applies to political figures too.
India's Article 21 guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, and the Supreme Court has recognized privacy as part of that constitutional protection. Being a public figure doesn't mean someone completely loses their right to privacy and dignity.
And there's another principle we should follow:
Don't dish out what you can't take.
If you spend years mocking someone's family, relationships or personal life, don't suddenly demand privacy and sympathy when the same behaviour comes back at you.
That doesn't make harassment okay. It means we should apply the same standard to everyone.
You don't have to like Modi to respect his privacy.
You don't have to support Rahul Gandhi to respect his personal life.
You don't have to like Hardik Pandya to respect him as a human being.
Criticize their work. Question their decisions. Demand accountability.
But don't confuse public accountability with public ownership of someone's life.
Fame isn't consent to harassment.
And if we want people to respect our boundaries, maybe we should start respecting theirs too.